Engaging Local Communities to Prevent, Reduce and Retrieve Ghost Gear in North America
Online
December 9, 2025
1:00-2:00 PM ET
Public
Every year an estimated 640,000 tonnes of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG)—commonly referred to as ghost gear—enter the ocean, harming marine life, reducing fish stocks and impacting livelihoods. Since 2022, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has partnered with the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) to engage local communities to prevent, reduce, and retrieve ghost gear, and to build knowledge that will advance responsible management of active and end-of-life fishing gear.
During this webinar, we will reflect on the project’s accomplishments, share new or updated resources and reveal key lessons learned from engaging local actors, pilot testing gear-tracking technologies and finding new opportunities for end-of-life fishing gear. Whether you work in marine conservation, fisheries management, policy or community outreach, this event will offer insights and tools to inspire further action on ghost gear reduction across North America.
This webinar will be delivered in English and Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation to English, French and Spanish.
Photo: Leonardo Gonzalez/Ocean Conservancy
Agenda
1:00 pm-1:10 pm
1:10 pm-1:30 pm
Working with communities to address ghost gear in North America
Claudia Cecilia Olimon
Project Coordinator - Latin America, Global Ghost Gear Initiative
Claudia Cecilia Olimon
Project Coordinator - Latin America, Global Ghost Gear Initiative
Claudia Cecilia Olimon has worked as Latin America project coordinator of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative since 2021. Previously, she coordinated the Ghost Nets Removal Project at the Upper Gulf of California, which removed more than 1300 nets from vaquita habitat. She was also Founding Executive Director of Pesca ABC, a fisher’s marine conservation NGO. In 2019, the prestigious Heritage Award of the Aquarium of the Pacific was bestowed on her. She holds a M.Sc. in Ecosystem Management, a B.Sc. in Social Communication (Journalism), and credentials from the Environmental Leadership Programme of the Cambridge Judge Business School.
1:30 pm-1:50 pm
New and updated tools to address ghost gear in North America
- Updated ghost gear predictive model for Mexico
- New generic protocol for conducting ghost gear removals
Joan Drinkwin
Marine Conservation Researcher, Natural Resource Consultants
Joan Drinkwin
Marine Conservation Researcher, Natural Resource Consultants
Joan Drinkwin has 25 years of experience in developing and operationalizing collaborative conservation programs. She is a recognized leader in the field of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear and has provided expertise on the topic to practitioners worldwide as well as to Intergovernmental Organizations such as the FAO and the IWC. She has collaborated on researching the impacts of derelict fishing gear and developed a comprehensive strategy to address lost and abandoned crab pots in Puget Sound, Washington State. She has also managed nearshore restoration projects and developed strategic restoration programs and communication plans.
Kyle Antonelis
Senior Fisheries Analyst, Natural Resource Consultants
Kyle Antonelis
Senior Fisheries Analyst, Natural Resource Consultants
Kyle Antonelis is a senior fisheries analyst with over 13 years of experience in collecting, managing and analyzing fisheries-related data. He integrates empirical data with qualitative information to conduct in-depth analysis for resource assessment, management, and planning. Evaluating policy, management plans, and industry-led cooperative research on fisheries sustainability, he has been a recognized leader in operations and research in removal of lost and derelict fishing gear, and on the impacts of marine debris. He also addresses the issue through innovative gear modification and prevention methods to reduce the quantity of lost fishing gear and their impacts in the marine environment.
1:50 pm-1:55 pm
Contact
Catherine Boyd Michaud
Project Lead, Ecosystems
(514) 350-4338