Our overall goal when undertaking net recovery projects is not only to remove the net from the water but also to recycle as much of the useful material as possible to keep it out of our landfills. Lost net however posed some particular challenges when it comes to recycling due to the amount of growth and mud that can accumulate over time. To be able to send the net to be properly recycled its crucial to get them clean enough to go through the process.
After the Pender Island net recovery ESPS teamed up with the Steveston Harbour Authority to test the viability of cleaning lost fishing gear to be sent away for recycling.
This video shows what this process looks like!