Limits of NIFCA District
Please click the link below where you will find the relevant information regarding the above survey.
Limits of NIFCA District
The Environment Agency will be conducting scientific kelp surveys along the Northumberland coast area during July and August 2024. Please see link below for further information:-
Limits of NIFCA District
The Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) requires the Secretary of State to lay a report
before Parliament on the ‘conduct and operation’ of the IFCAs as soon as reasonably
practical after the end of every four-year period. The third report is now due and will cover
from 1st September 2018 to 31st August 2022.
There are two ways that your views can be shared::
- A targeted Qualtrics survey designed for individuals that are most knowledgeable about the IFCAs including: recreational anglers, inshore fishers, IFCA General Members, local government Councillors, Arm’s Length Body employees, academics and members of Non-Governmental Organisations. The survey is anonymous and can be accessed using the following link:
https://defragroup.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9QS0m2CMiuQuC6W
- An online Citizen Space survey for members of the public and representatives of organisations. This is available via the following link:
https://consult.defra.gov.uk/arm2019s-length-body-governance-relationship-management/callforevidence-ifca-conductandoperations2018-2022/
Both methods are now open and will close on 22 April 2024.
Limits of NIFCA District
On Thursday 8 February at the Quayside Law Courts in Newcastle, Magistrates sentenced three members of the Armstrong family from Blyth and Newbiggin by the Sea, for breaching key local fisheries legislation that manages the pot fishery along the Northumberland coast.
The prosecution related to an incident in July 2023 when fishing pots operated by the Armstrong family were inspected at sea and found to be missing or have incorrect identification tags attached.
The case was brought against David Armstrong Snr, David Armstrong Jnr, and Christopher Armstrong by the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA), which manages the inshore fishery along the North Tyneside and Northumbrian coastline.
During the hearing, Elizabeth Rowley of Andrew Jackson Solicitors, prosecuting on behalf of the Authority informed the court that on the 31 July 2023, enforcement officers from NIFCA had undertaken routine inspections of fishing pots set off Whitley Bay aboard the Authority’s patrol vessel the St Aidan.
The officers inspected a fleet of 40 pots whose surface markers stated they were set from the Wendy Patricia BH22, a potting vessel owned and operated by the Armstrong family. Upon inspection, the individual pots either had no mandatory NIFCA pot tags attached or they displayed tags allocated to another vessel owned by the family.
The three members of the Armstrong family represented by Richard Arnot of Ward Hadaway Solicitors pleaded guilty to the same offence, that they had: ‘Fished for specified shellfish using pots without tags issued to the commercial permit holder and named vessel affixed, contrary to NIFCA’s byelaw 4. Crustacea and Mollusc Permitting and Pot Limitation.’
The court determined that the actions of the defendants were negligent but did not cause harm to the fishery. To Christopher Armstrong and David Armstrong Snr the owners of the Wendy Patricia BH22, the court individually imposed financial penalties of a £433.00 fine, a victim surcharge of £173.00 and awarded costs of £1,300. David Armstrong Jnr as master of the vessel was ordered to pay a £300.00 fine, a victim surcharge of £120.00 and to pay £780.00 in costs. In total £5,012.00 is to be paid by the family.
Nick Weir, lead enforcement officer for NIFCA, said: “The Authority is pleased the court recognised the importance of NIFCA byelaws. Pot limitation is a fundamental method of managing the fishing effort within the NIFCA district to ensure that stocks of key species are only caught at a sustainable level. All pots set within the district for both commercial and recreational fishers must be affixed with NIFCA tags which are issued under our permit schemes.
“Fishing in Northumberland is an economically sensitive activity and of great social importance to our local heritage and character. Our byelaws in conjunction with national legislation, balance the social, environmental, and economic needs of our stakeholders to promote healthy seas, sustainable fishing, and a viable industry.”
Limits of NIFCA District
On Thursday the 18th of January at the Quayside Law Courts in Newcastle, Magistrates found Mr Charles “Michael” Denton of Atlee Terrace, Newbiggin by the Sea, guilty of breaching local fisheries legislation designed to protect key species along the Northumberland Coast. The verdict related to an incident in March 2023 when Mr Denton retained and landed an egg bearing Lobster.
The case was brought against Mr Denton, who did not attend court, by the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA), which manages the inshore fishery along the Northumberland and North Tyneside coastline.
During the trial, Elizabeth Rowley of Andrew Jackson Solicitors prosecuting on behalf of NIFCA, informed the court that on the 15th of March 2023, Mr Denton, the owner and skipper of the commercial fishing vessel Talisman II BK 176, landed his catch at Blyth harbour. Enforcement officers from NIFCA conducted a landing inspection to ensure the catch complied with local and national legislation, finding that one Lobster was an egg bearing female.
Mr Denton had committed one offence as a NIFCA commercial shellfish permit holder, he had retained and carried a berried lobster aboard a vessel, contrary to NIFCA Byelaw 4. Crustacea and Mollusc Permitting and Pot Limitation and Section 163 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.
After hearing evidence from an enforcement officer, the Bench found Mr Denton guilty in his absence. Noting Mr Denton’s high degree of culpability despite reasonably low harm to the fishery in this instance, as well as his previous convictions for fisheries offences, the Bench agreed to NIFCA’s request to disqualify Mr Denton from holding a shellfish permit to fish for 12 months, also ordering him to pay a fine of £480.00, a further £1,800.00 in prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £192.00.
In 2022, Mr Denton was prosecuted by NIFCA for retaining 179 undersize Lobsters and for failing to comply with fisheries officers. He also has a number of other convictions for fisheries offences covering a 25-year period.
Nick Weir, lead enforcement officer for NIFCA, said: “The Authority is pleased the court recognises the importance of NIFCA byelaws and agreeing that Mr Denton should forfeit his right to a permit to fish along our coast. NIFCA did not take the decision lightly to request that Mr Denton be disqualified from holding a permit. The Authority believes Mr Denton’s continued disregard for legislation designed to protect fish stocks is unacceptable. Preventing shellfish from reproducing is a risk to the long-term sustainability of the fishery and affects the entire fishing community.
“Fishing in Northumberland is an economically sensitive activity and of great social importance to our local heritage and character. Our byelaws in conjunction with national legislation, balance the social, environmental, and economic needs of our stakeholders to promote healthy seas, sustainable fishing and a viable industry. To ensure this, NIFCA will vigorously pursue anyone who jeopardises the health of the fishery or fails to comply with our officers and legislation.”