Defra will be running both in-person events and online events, the details of which can be found below. The in-person events are open to all so please pass on details to anyone that might like to come. Due to considerable stakeholder interest in the candidate HPMA at Lindisfarne, Defra will now be running two (identical) in-person workshops to cater for the high numbers. The first will be held 2-4pm at The Hub in Seahouses. This will be followed by a second workshop 6.30-8.30pm at the Oasis Cafe on Lindisfarne, which Defra would like to prioritise for Holy Island based stakeholders as it is a small venue. 

NIFCA and Newcastle University will be at the Harbour Office (top floor), Seahouses on Monday 8th August from 10am-2pm to discuss the proposed HPMA pilot areas. Researchers from Newcastle University will be there too ready to interview anyone who would like to make statement about how the proposed HPMA will affect them (as part of a Rapid Impact Assessment Study, led by Dr Sarah Coulthard, Newcastle University).

Please stop by and chat to us if you have any questions or need assistance with responding to the Defra consultation:

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/hpma/consultation-on-highly-protected-marine-areas/

Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) has today introduced a new byelaw to prohibit all dredging by fishing vessels for scallops in the NIFCA district.

The district covers the sea area from the Scottish Border to the midpoint of the River Tyne and six miles out to sea.

NIFCA chair Les Weller, explains: “Following an extensive public consultation with stakeholders including the commercial fishing industry and careful consideration, looking at all available options and taking stakeholder comments into account, the Authority made this decision to ensure the long-term protection of the marine environment in the NIFCA district and the security of the local potting industry regarding crab and lobster stocks.

“It is widely accepted that dredging activities negatively impact the seabed, causing harm to the sea fish and shellfish and marine plants thriving there. It is important therefore that NIFCA has been successful in proactively bringing in the ban for the benefit of the marine environment and our local fishing industry.”

The byelaw can be viewed at www.nifca.gov.uk/byelaws/ 

You can also contact NIFCA at: nifca@nifca.gov.uk or telephone: 01670 797676.

A reminder that the NIFCA Chair has called an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Authority to discuss Defra’s consultation regarding the proposed HPMA in Lindisfarne.

The event is open to everyone on the evening of Thursday 21^st July. Join us at 5pm at The Hub, Stone Close, Seahouses, NE68 7YL. No need to book but feel free to contact us for more details on 01670 797 676 or at nifca@nifca.gov.uk.

Please see link to Agenda for the meeting below:-

Agenda – EGM 21 July 2021

 Please note that our next Quarterly Meeting will be held at East Bedlington Community Centre, 16 & 17 Station Rd, Bedlington Station, NE22 7JN, on Monday 25th July 2022 at 1pm.

Agenda Items include: –
IFCO Reports on activity in the district, Environmental Report on NIFCA research, surveys and Defra proposed HPMA in the NIFCA district.

If you would like to attend, please email nifca@nifca.gov.uk

Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) has appointed three new volunteer members to its board.

The organisation, which is based in Blyth, and is one of ten IFCAs around the coast of England, works to manage a sustainable marine environment and inshore fisheries, including commercial and recreational fishers, in the waters off the coast of Northumberland and North Tyneside and in rivers in the district up to the normal tidal limit.

The new members are Amelia Henderson, Paul Dent and Steven Moss.

Together, they will support the Authority in its mandate to ensure that the use of sea fisheries resources is carried out in a sustainable way and the objectives of Marine Conservation Zones are achieved.

Amelia, who lives in Blyth, is a keen recreational angler and Secretary of the Bedlington Sea Angling Club. She is passionate about preserving the natural environment and working with the local community.

Paul Dent, from Newbiggin, has been a fisherman for more than 35 years, starting out as a deck hand to his current role of skipper and boat owner. Paul has worked closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Cefas in developing more environmental and sustainable fishing practices and is former member of the RNLI.

Steven Moss is a lifelong Northumberland fisherman who owns a traditional Northumbrian Coble working from Blyth. He has also owned and skippered two large fishing trawlers and is an active member of the Anglo Scottish Fish Producers Organisation, as well as a member of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO).

Welcoming the new members, NIFCA chief executive officer Mike Hardy, said: “It is fantastic to have Amelia, Paul and Steven joining our board. I have no doubt their knowledge, interests and experience will make a positive difference to inshore fisheries management and the marine environment in Northumberland”.

NIFCA Chair Les Weller said, “I am delighted to welcome our three new members and look forward to guiding the Authority’s work with a full and balanced membership”.

The new members are volunteers appointed on behalf of NIFCA by the MMO through a formal application process. NIFCA members appointed by the MMO do not represent a specific sector but bring their expertise to Authority discussions and policy making.

They are required to act objectively and in the best interests of the inshore marine area, using their skills and knowledge to inform decisions on how their local area is managed, drawing on a mandate under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and other government guidance. Key aims include balancing sustainability needs with the economic exploitation of sea fisheries, as well as safeguarding conservation of the broader marine environment.