Coastal Nations Fisheries

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Guy Dean graduated from the University of British Columbia, Canada with a degree in marine zoology and has been involved in the seafood industry for over 30 years from farmer, harvester, fisher, processor and distributor. He’s currently the President and General Manager of Organic Ocean Seafood, Inc. – a vertically integrated artisanal boutique seafood supplier selling to many top chefs internationally.

Guy is passionate about supporting and promoting the consumption of sustainable seafood and particularly the long-term viability of the seafood industry. Guy was awarded the 2018 ‘Seafood Champion award for Leadership’ by the Ocean Foundation at the Seaweb Seafood summit in Barcelona, Spain. This is the first time a Canadian has ever received this prestigious honor.

Guy sits on the board of multiple industry led foundations within North America including the BC Salmon Marketing Council, Canadian Highly Migratory Species Foundation and a board member of the global ocean conservation organization – Ocean Wise. He also represents the seafood industry, sitting on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program’s “Multi-Stakeholder Group” – one of only 14 people internationally chosen for this committee. Guy regularly travels globally, where he is an acknowledged speaker and advisor and most recently has advised on SDG 14 at the United Nations as well as contributing to a working paper for the UN-FAO on “Implications of Climate Change for Aquaculture.”

Wesward Ventures Fisheries Ltd.

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Michel is a commercial lobster fisherman from Nova Scotia, serving as a Captain with a Fishing Master Class 3 certification. Over the past 38 years, he has worked in various fisheries, starting with herring seining, and has fished species such as crab, ground fish, swordfish, tuna, halibut, and lobster. Michel is also a board member of both the Coldwater Lobster Association and the Harbour Authority of Dennis Point in Pubnico, Nova Scotia

He also owns the Silver Roe Seafoods Ltd. fish processing plant since 2006, which houses frozen storage facilities and sells bait. He is currently collaborating with the Nova Scotia Community College in Dartmouth on a project to develop biodegradable bait bags. Since 2023, Michel has been a member of GGGI and has been actively involved in various ghost gear projects since 2022.

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

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Paritosh Deshpande is an Associate Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. He holds a PhD in Life cycle management of commercial fishing gear from NTNU, where his research focused on the impacts and management of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). Since the past decade, Paritosh has been involved in multiple national and international research projects aiming at sustainable and circular management of ALDFG from the fishing and aquaculture sectors. He has developed data-driven management frameworks that have been instrumental in identifying hotspots for gear loss, quantifying ALDFG emissions, and facilitating timely interventions. The methods have been adopted internationally, including in Taiwan, the UK, and India, demonstrating their scalability and effectiveness.

Paritosh is a member of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) Working Group 43, where he provides scientific and policy advice to the United Nations system. In collaboration with global experts, he focuses on developing international guidelines and best practices for ALDFG management, bridging the gap between scientific research and policy implementation.

He has collaborated with diverse teams across various countries, fostering cooperation around sustainability assessment and circular economic management of plastics in the fishing and aquaculture sectors. The research has influenced policy tools and guided industries to build a holistic understanding of the end-of-life management of plastics from the fishing and aquaculture sectors.

Natural Resources Consultants

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Joan Drinkwin is a partner at Natural Resources Consultants, a Seattle-based fisheries consulting firm known for its expertise in all things abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). Joan has managed large-scale ALDFG programs in her home state of Washington, overseeing the removal of thousands of lost gillnets and crab pots, coordinating research and outreach campaigns, and facilitating regulatory solutions. She has published journal articles about the impacts of ALDFG on fisheries. Joan has been involved in the Global Ghost Gear Initiative since its inception and has served on the Solutions Working Group and the former Steering Committee. She has written guidance documents on locating ALDFG and created stakeholder fact sheets to accompany the Best Practice Framework for the Management of Fishing Gear. She was an invited member of the advisory committee developing the NOAA Washington State Marine Debris Action Plan and has been called on to advise on working groups of the International Whaling Commission and FAO. She regularly manages projects around ALDFG including recent work in the South Pacific tracking fish aggregating devices.

Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center

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Kirsten Gilardi is a wildlife veterinarian, Co-Director of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center (WHC) and a Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Wildlife Health in the Department of Medicine & Epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She directs the California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project, a program she launched in 2006 that works in close collaboration with commercial fishermen to remove more than 140 tons of lost, abandoned and discarded fishing gear and other marine debris from California’s coastal ocean to date. Kirsten earned her DVM at UC Davis in 1993 and joined the staff of the WHC in 1998. She established the WHC’s SeaDoc Society in 2000, and in 2001 she became board-certified by the American College of Zoological Medicine. She is a past President of the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians. In addition to her work with GESAMP, Gilardi chairs the Build Evidence Working Group of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, and is a member of the West Coast Marine Debris Alliance.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Marine Debris Program

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Christy is a marine debris specialist with extensive experience in addressing ghost gear. Since joining the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program in 2016, she has contributed significantly at local, regional, national, and international levels, focusing on ghost gear and abandoned fishing gear.

She has supported federal projects aimed at the prevention, removal, research, response, and disposal of abandoned lost, or otherwise discarded. She has also overseen regional marine debris action plans, including the California Ocean Litter Strategy, and stays updated on national legislative frameworks. She has also contributed to international initiatives, such as the GGGI North American Net Collection Initiative and global marine debris conferences with the United Nations. Before NOAA, Christy supported other US agencies National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as well as community-based environmental nonprofits.

Christy has an MA in International Affairs from American University and a MA in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development at the United Nations-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica where she studied a variety of transboundary governance issues around ocean resource management. She also holds a BS in Business from the University of Florida with minors in Sustainability Studies and a second in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance. She grew up in a Cuban-American household in Florida and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Christy believes there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to ghost gear and is driven to see cross-sectoral and cross-border solutions.

Myanmar Ocean Project

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Thanda is the founder and director of Myanmar Ocean Project, a marine conservation organisation with a mission to restore and protect the health of Myanmar’s ocean. Thanda has been volunteering as a research assistant for Marine Megafauna Foundation’s Myanmar Manta Program before she founded Myanmar Ocean Project after countless encounters with marine life entanglements in ghost nets and witnessing the destruction ghost gear has on marine ecosystems first hand. Working with local fishing communities and organizations, Myanmar Ocean Project conducted the first ever survey of ghost gear in Myanmar’s Myeik Archipelago. Myanmar Ocean Project is a member of Global Ghost Gear Initiative and continues to advocate for solutions to Myanmar’s ALDFG problem.

Fishing Industry Authority of Papua New Guinea

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Marcelo Hidalgo graduated from the University Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral in Guayaquil, Ecuador with a degree in Aquaculture, has been involved in the seafood industry for over 27 years as a shrimp farmer, harvester, seafood processor, long liner fleet, and tuna purse seiner industry. Currently founder and director of Seafoodmatter, a Consultancy Company based in the Netherlands. Also, he is the Sustainability & CSR Director of the Fishing Industry Association of Papua New Guinea (FIA PNG) – a vertically integrated Tuna Industry with several Small-scale fisheries members.

Marcelo is passionate about supporting and promoting the consumption of sustainable seafood and development solutions for both market and harvesters to produce and source sustainable seafood. In 2019 as Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Science Coordinator he created and led the first comprehensive Marine litter and Aquaculture gear requirements for the Global  Industry, also provided technical support and industry data to the commissioned white paper “Marine Litter and Aquaculture Gear” 2019.

Marcelo sits on the board of multiple industry-led foundations within North America and Europe, including the FISH standard for Crew, Global Dialogue on Seafood traceability, Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative, The Marine Stewardship Council and Marin Trust. Marcelo developed and implemented the Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP) Initiative of FIA PNG, which has a pillar based on GGGI best practices for fisheries that is an auditable tool to measure the performance of the tuna industry in minimizing the impact on the marine environment.

Marine Change

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Roderic Hodges is Director of Investment with Marine Change, a specialist advisory firm focused on impact investments and innovative conservation finance solutions for resilient marine ecosystems. His experience includes extensive field work in Southeast Asia engaging fisheries, aquaculture, and plastics recycling supply chains and marine protected areas. He began his career working with smallholder farmers in Madagascar as a volunteer in the US Peace Corps, later earning an MBA degree and working in financial consulting and real estate investing. He is a strong advocate of leveraging markets, new technologies, and private sector partnerships to address environmental challenges.

Bureo

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Ben Kneppers is the Co-Founder and COO of Bureo Inc., a Benefits Corporation focused on creating a net positive solution to end-of-life fishing gear. Through the team’s initiative, Net Positiva, Bureo works together with fisheries and fishing communities across Chile, Argentina, and Peru to transform this once harmful marine debris into a fully-traceable, innovative raw material supply known as NetPlus. Bureo’s NetPlus material is utilized in a growing number of like-minded brands including Costa Sunglasses, Humanscale Office Chairs, Jenga Tabletop Games, and Carver Skateboards.

Bureo is a certified B-Corp and proud member of 1% for the Planet. Find out more at www.bureo.co

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Tracy Murai has a deep commitment to ocean conservation which has led to a diverse career in the marine, fisheries and sustainability sectors. Over the last 20 years, she has gained a working understanding of government/regulators, private and non-governmental organisations. She has a strong track record of driving impactful solutions and leading strategic collaborations.

She has knowledge and experience in; designing projects and programs, fundraising, seafood supply chains, and the fishing sector. Thematically her work has covered topics such as ALDFG, ‘IUU’ fishing, human and labour rights, traceability, marine policy and legislation, stakeholder consultation and ecology. She has previously supported the GGGI through corporate membership, conducting research projects, producing on the ground projects and strategies to support the initiative.

Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation

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Erin fell in love with the coast of Maine while studying biology at the Shoals Marine Lab on Appledore Island. After graduating with a B.Sc. in biology and environmental science, she worked in the environmental education field for many years until shifting her focus to working with the fishing industry.

Erin is the Executive Director of the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation (GOMLF), a small non-profit organization that collaborates with the local fishing industry on several different research and outreach projects. Her passion lies in bringing awareness to the marine debris issue facing our planet and how we, as individuals and citizens, can make positive changes. GOMLF works directly with local fishers, divers, scientists and volunteers to remove and discard derelict fishing gear in the Gulf of Maine waters. Erin has been directing this charge for over 15 years, removing over 5,000 traps and over 100 tons of ghost gear and continues to dedicate her time and resources to this cause.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

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Marina started her career in the conservation of aquatic resources in 2002 through her time at the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority managing the volunteer-based Watershed Watch Program. In 2007, she joined the City of Ottawa as a fisheries field biologist where she led the research and implementation of the improved Biological Baseline Monitoring Program and became a certified trainer for the Ontario Ministry of Environments Benthic Biomonitoring Program and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Stream Assessment Protocol.

Marina joined Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard in 2012, where she coordinated the delivery of the Species At Risk Act’s enforcement operations and implemented the fishery officer marine mammal response training program.

In 2018, Marina took on a lead role for Fisheries and Oceans Canada to advance Canadian efforts on ghost gear, through the ongoing development of a national plan to address abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear. To this end, she has established collaborative relationships with international experts in academia, other government agencies and environmental non-governmental organizations in the field.

Aquatic Resource Authority of Panama

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Ynes is a passionate marine biologist with over 12 years of experience. She started her career by volunteering in various biodiversity, ecology, and conservation programs for coral reefs, sea turtles, and fisheries management. In 2015, she joined the Aquatic Resource Authority of Panama, where she is leading the national ghost gear removal program. This program aims to implement methodologies for the removal of ghost gears through a participatory process, involving small-scale fishermen, private businesses, and NGOs.

By diving deep to remove ghost gear, Ynes actively works for the management of Panama's fisheries and to promote a healthier marine environment. She also emphasizes the importance of the participation of fisheries communities in the detection of fishing tackle drifting or trapped in the sea bottom and raising awareness to advocate for solutions.

Stand Out for Environment Restoration

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Emmanuel Sofa is the Founder and Executive Director of the Stand Out For Environment Restoration (SOFER) Initiative, a community centered, Non-Governmental Organization impacting communities through environmental solutions based in Nigeria. Since 2010, he has been engaged in environmental advocacy. He is a United Nations Clean Seas prize winner for Human-Marine Litter Problems and Solutions.

Emmanuel designed and led the implementation of the Fishing Net Gains project which is adjudged by the International Maritime Organization as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization to be one of the nine best global solutions addressing marine plastic litter. The Fishing Net Gains project has impacted 13 coastal communities in Nigeria and Cameroon through the retrieval of 2,466kg of waste fishing gears, capacity building for 305 women/girls in ghost gear upcycling, and employment for 31 community indigenes as data collectors.

Emmanuel is a past member of the Solutions Working Group of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative. He is passionate about community service, aviation safety and sports.

Tangaroa Blue Foundation

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Heidi Tait, the founder and CEO of the Tangaroa Blue Foundation, holds a prominent position in Australia's marine debris field. With over two decades of experience managing a highly successful non-profit organization, Heidi possesses valuable skills in business administration, government and stakeholder relations, organizational strategy, and marine science. Her passion for environmental preservation was ignited during her time as a scuba diving instructor, where she witnessed the devastating effects of marine debris firsthand.

Currently, Heidi oversees a team of over 35 staff members and numerous volunteers, who actively engage in various programs throughout Australia. Recognized as one of the "18 Most Influential Women in Ocean Conservation" by Ocean Geographic in 2018, Heidi remains committed to discovering innovative methods of mitigating and preventing the influx of marine debris into our oceans and waterways.