The federal government has issued a request for proposals from partners committed to cleaning up lost, abandoned and discarded fishing equipment, otherwise known as ghost gear. Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson made the announcement in Yarmouth, N.S., saying Ottawa has already set aside $15 million for project funding over the next three years. The lost and discarded equipment can harm marine mammals, fisheries and habitats, Thompson said in a statement released Wednesday. “Cleaning up this debris will help our fisheries to continue to thrive,” the minister said. “I want to thank our partners and Indigenous communities for their efforts so far to clean up and find solutions to tackle the issue of ghost gear.” The minister said that since the fund was launched in 2020, more than 2,500 tonnes of

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