The sight of an abandoned fishing net trapping fish or
strangling seals never comes as a surprise for B.C. commercial diver
Bourton Scott.

Scott’s day job is beneath the ocean’s surface,
inspecting underwater structures for different clients. But during
nearly every dive, he comes across lost or discarded fishing material —
or “ghost gear” — that is still snaring wildlife.

“When a net’s
lost, it continually fishes — it doesn’t stop fishing,” said Scott.
“[And] since the animals that are caught aren’t being harvested or
removed, it baits more animals into the net.”

The result is “an ongoing death trap.”