GGGI Small Grants Program — Ghost Gear Removal
Enriched multilateral · Found: 2026-03-14 21:57
The Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) offers annual small grants to member organizations working on prevention, mitigation, and remediation of abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ghost gear). Membership is free and open to NGOs, fishing industry, academia, and governments worldwide.
Source: https://www.ghostgear.org/become-a-member
Funding Details
- Funder
- Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) / Ocean Conservancy
- Funding Goal
- To build capacity for NGO and community-based projects that prevent, mitigate, and remediate abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG/ghost gear) in ocean and coastal environments.
- Funding Amount
- Amount not specified; 2025 cycle saw nearly $1.2M total requested across 21 countries. Individual grants estimated $10K-$100K based on past rounds.
- Deadline
- Annual cycle; 2026 call not yet announced. 2025 grants already awarded. Monitor ghostgear.org for 2026 opening. (periodic)
- How to Apply
- Step 1: Join GGGI as a member at ghostgear.org/become-a-member. Step 2: Apply during annual small grants cycle once call opens. Submit application through GGGI website.
- Target Region
- Global — members from 21+ countries. Particularly active in coastal/fishing communities.
- Contact
- ghostgear.org/contact — Ocean Conservancy manages the initiative
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-14 21:57
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Constraints
Summary
The Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) is the worlds largest cross-sectoral alliance committed to tackling the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear. Founded by Ocean Conservancy, GGGI has grown to include 130+ organizations from the fishing industry, private sector, civil society, academia, and governments. The GGGI Small Grants Program is open exclusively to GGGI members and provides financial support for projects working on ghost gear prevention, mitigation, and remediation. The 2025 cycle was described as the most competitive yet, with nearly $1.2M USD requested from members across 21 countries, indicating significant demand. Membership in GGGI is free and open to any organization that signs the statement of support. Benefits include eligibility for the small grants program, access to research and best practice resources, cross-sectoral collaboration with 130+ organizations, and expert project review services to support external funding applications. The small grants program is subject to available funding each year. Past cycles have included projects on ghost gear removal, fishing gear marking, policy advocacy, and awareness raising. The 2026 cycle has not yet been announced as of March 2026. GGGI membership is also valuable as a credibility and network marker for organizations working on maritime plastic and marine debris in developing country contexts.
Historical Context
Annual small grants program running since at least 2021. 2025 cycle was most competitive with nearly $1.2M requested. Award announcements typically made mid-year.
Why it was added
grant-scan-list3-2026-03-14
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