Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) has appointed two new enforcement officers this year to its enforcement team.

The organisation, which is based in Blyth, is one of ten IFCAs around the coast of England and works to manage a sustainable marine and inshore fisheries environment in the waters off the coast of Northumberland and North Tyneside.

The new officers are Emily O’Regan and Toby Nash. Their role is to support the overall enforcement of fisheries legislation in the NIFCA district, which includes monitoring and compliance inspections of individuals, vessels, vehicles, and premises.

Emily has been working in fisheries management since 2018. She joined NIFCA from the Marine Management Organisation, where she was a fishery licencing officer.

Describing her NIFCA role, Emily said: “I am enthusiastic about marine conservation and thrilled to accept this position. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues at NIFCA and getting to know the local fishing community.”

Toby Nash has a varied background in earth and marine environmental consulting, including offshore environmental baseline surveys in South America.

He said: “It feels great to be able to combine my environmental background with my love of being at sea. I look forward to engaging with all aspects of the area’s fisheries and promoting the sustainable use of the local resources.”

Together, Emily and Toby are supporting the Authority in its mandate to ensure that the use of sea fisheries resources is conducted in a sustainable way and the objectives of Marine Conservation Zones are achieved.

Welcoming the new officers, NIFCA chief executive officer Mike Hardy, said: “I was pleased to welcome Emily and Toby to the Authority earlier this year. It is great that NIFCA has a full-strength team of officers whose interests and experience will make a positive contribution to our inshore fisheries management and the marine environment work in Northumberland.”

More information available here:  Bass Fishing Guidance 2022 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The NIFCA Office will be closed on Thursday 24th November 2022 due to staff training.  The office will re-open as normal on Friday 25th November.

Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) has successfully prosecuted a recreational shellfish gatherer for breaching one if its byelaws.

On the 10^th of November 2022, at North Shields Magistrates Court, Mr Michael William Denton of Newbiggin by the Sea pled guilty to the breach.

Andrew Oliver of Andrew Jackson Solicitors prosecuting on behalf of NIFCA, which manages the inshore fishery along the Northumberland and North Tyneside coastline, informed magistrates that on the 12^th of May, Mr Denton was observed and recorded fishing with shellfish pots within the NIFCA district.

Mr Denton, a crew member on a commercial fishing vessel, was aware of the fisheries legislation and was fishing from his own recreational boat without the required NIFCA Recreational Shellfish Permit.

Mr Denton, represented by Paul Dunn of Lawson and Thompson Solicitors was found to have been negligent and to have caused harm to the fishery. He was fined £200 and ordered to pay £200 costs and a victim surcharge of £43.00.

Nick Weir, Lead Enforcement Officer at NIFCA, said: “The Authority is happy with the court’s findings and its recognition of the importance of the work we do. Fishing for shellfish in Northumberland is vitally important to commercial fishers and a source of great enjoyment for responsible recreational gatherers.

“I would advise anyone who wishes to fish or gather shellfish to visit our website or contact our office to check that what they are doing is within our byelaws. The byelaws exist to balance the social, environmental and economic needs of our stakeholders in order to promote healthy seas, sustainable fishing and a viable industry.”

We are really pleased to share with you our 2021-22 Annual Report We hope you find it to be an interesting read.

Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) has successfully prosecuted a commercial fisher £12,500 for contravening fisheries legislation.

On Thursday the 13th of October 2022, Mr Neal Priestley of Seahouses, Northumberland, appeared at North Shields Magistrates Court for four breaches of national fisheries legislation and NIFCA byelaws.

The case was brought against Mr Priestley by NIFCA who manage the inshore fishery along the Northumberland and North Tyneside coastline.

Andrew Oliver of Andrew Jackson Solicitors prosecuting on behalf of NIFCA, informed the court that on the 25th of February 2022 Mr Priestley, the owner and master of the fishing vessel Mary May BK140, landed his catch at Seahouses harbour. Fisheries Officers inspecting the catch found a number of prohibited shellfish or their commercially valuable parts, including from sections of the catch that the crew had concealed from officers during their initial inspection.

Mr Oliver explained to the court that the offences found were of an environmental nature, breaching national and local legislation created to protect fish stocks and to gather accurate information to aid fisheries management.

Mr Priestley had committed four offences:

1. Fished for and landed two egg bearing Lobsters contrary to the Lobster and Crawfish Order No 874/2000 and the Seafish (Conservation) Act 1967.
2. Landed the detached parts (tails) of 42 Lobsters, contrary to NIFCA Byelaw 3 Crustacea Conservation 2019.
3. Landed Edible Crab claws weighing in excess of 10% of his vessels catch, contrary to NIFCA Byelaw 3 Crustacea Conservation 2019.
4. Failed to send accurate information regarding his catch to NIFCA, contrary to NIFCA Byelaw 4 Crustacea and Molluscs Permitting and Pot Limitation.

Mr Priestley who was represented by Stuart Athey of Hadaway and Hadaway Solicitors pleaded guilty to all four offences.

After taking into consideration Mr Priestley’s early guilty plea, the court-imposed penalties of £615 for the negligent landing of the egg bearing Lobsters. £3,076 for the deliberate landing of parts of Lobsters. £3,076 for the deliberate landing of detached crab claws and £3,076 for failing to send accurate information to NIFCA. A victim surcharge of £190 and costs of £2,914.88 were also awarded. In total Mr Priestley was ordered to pay £12,947.88 for committing these offences.

Nick Weir, Lead Enforcement officer for NIFCA, said: “The Authority is pleased that the court recognises the importance of the national fisheries legislation and NIFCA byelaws that are essential for protecting the commercially sensitive stocks in our district.

“The protection of juvenile shellfish, breeding stocks and the accurate reporting of catch and effort are crucial to the fishery and NIFCA will vigorously pursue any individual or company that disregards regulations. Fishing for shellfish in Northumberland is vitally important to commercial fishers who currently have well documented and publicised pressures on their industry, especially around the Farne Islands and Holy Island where Mr Priestley fishes.

“At a time of unparalleled cooperation and understanding between fishers and the Authority, NIFCA will do everything in its power to prevent both ecological harm and reputational damage in an area where the very future of the fishing industry could be at stake.

“NIFCA is confident that this case is an anomaly, in a well-managed and enforced area and should not tarnish the reputation or future of the local industry. Fishing in Northumberland is an economically sensitive activity and of great social importance to our local heritage and character. Our Byelaws balance the social, environmental and economic needs of our stakeholders to promote healthy seas, sustainable fishing and a viable industry.”