NIFCA to take part in environmental festival in Alnwick this June

Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority will be taking part in this year’s What a Wonderful World (WAWW) Festival in Alnwick on Saturday 27 June.

The festival is a celebration of arts, science, nature, and community with a strong focus on environmental awareness and rewilding. It brings together a programme of events exploring how people can better understand and protect the natural world, from land to sea.

As part of the programme, NIFCA will present its Lobster V-Notching film at a special screening event at Alnwick Playhouse, highlighting the importance of sustainable fisheries management, conservation, and stock enhancement along the Northumberland and North Tyneside coast.

The V-Notching screening will follow the inspirational true story “It’ll Never Work,” set on Scotland’s west coast. A film displaying one fisherman’s determination to convert his commercial fishing vessel to solar and electric power, capturing the challenges of the transition and his commitment to a low-carbon future.

Chief Officer Mark Southerton will present NIFCA’s screening, followed by a live Q&A hosted by local councillor Martin Swinbank in partnership with Alnwick Playhouse.

The discussion will give audiences the opportunity to learn more about the science and practical application behind NIFCA’s long-running V-Notching scheme, which plays a key role in protecting breeding lobsters and supporting sustainable stocks for the future.

V-Notching involves placing a small V-shaped mark in the tail of a lobster before returning it to the sea. Under fisheries legislation, berried or V-Notched lobsters must not be landed, helping to safeguard breeding animals and strengthen long-term fishery sustainability.

The Authority is pleased to confirm that its V-Notching scheme will continue in 2026. The programme resumes in August, when the Authority will buy lobsters from local wholesalers, V-notch them, and return them to the sea across the district.

More information on the scheme can be found in NIFCA’s 2025 V-notching report, which outlines the progress and outcomes of the initiative so far:

https://nifca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NIFCA-V-notching-Report-2025-Final.pdf

The public is warmly invited to attend the WAWW Festival event to learn more about marine conservation on the North East coast and the joint efforts helping to protect local fisheries for future generations.

The NIFCA V-Notching film will be shown at 11am on Saturday 27 June in the Alnwick Playhouse Studio. Tickets are £5 (or £2 for under 18s).

Full details and tickets are available via Alnwick Playhouse: https://alnwickplayhouse.co.uk/event/itll-never-work/#book-tickets.