August 5, 2021 — Southwest Nova Scotia is one of Canada’s most productive lobster fishing region, spanning more than 21,000 square kilometers and contributing a significant portion of the country’s lobster supply.
With a busy fishery, though, has come the growing challenge of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG)—a collection of traps, ropes, hooks, cables and other fishing-related equipment that drift through the water column or litter the ocean floor. It is a global problem, but one that hasn’t been widely quantified.
Researchers at Dalhousie University wanted to find out how much gear might be in the Southwest Nova Scotia (SWNS) fishing zone and how it might be affecting the existing fishery. Their recently published baseline study provides the first preliminary assessment of environmental and economic impacts of ALDFG on the commercial lobster industry in the area.