North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority are recruiting a Chief Executive Officer.

More information available here: https://www.nw-ifca.gov.uk/news/recruiting-chief-executive-officer/

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.”