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 October 2021 at 1pm.

Agenda Items include:-
IFCO Reports- Chief IFCO, Environmental IFCOs, District Reports and Vessels Maintenance Report. The Authority will also be making a decision regarding its Dredge byelaw at this meeting. 

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

NIFCA recently helped Amble Lobster Hatchery welcome back visitors when Covid-19 restrictions eased with the launch of a new interactive visitor experience.

Located in the Northumberland Seafood Centre, the popular visitor attraction closed to the public during lockdown.  

NIFCA awarded the hatchery a grant of £2,000 towards the refurbishment its public information centre. The hatchery is dedicated to enhancing lobster stocks on the Northumberland Coast and educating people of all ages on the process of rearing lobsters, from the eggs hatching to the young lobsters being ready for release.

Visitors can see a lobster’s lifecycle first-hand. From female lobsters ‘hens’ carrying thousands of eggs before they hatch, and once born, how they move to larvae tanks, then into juvenile tanks in preparation for release back into the North Sea.

The hatchery is helping to sustain the local lobster populations and also gives visitors opportunities to participate in lobster release events.

Hatchery manager, Andrew Gooding, said: “It’s great to be able to welcome back visitors and show them the important work we do. The funding from NIFCA has been instrumental in helping us to update the centre and ensure it provides people with a safe and enjoyable experience. The centre is designed to be as interactive, informative, and engaging as possible. It is packed full of information highlighting the importance of sea fisheries sustainability and I highly recommend a visit.”

Entry to the centre is free of charge but it does encourage donations to support its work.

NIFCA chief executive, Mike Hardy, adds: “The Authority is delighted to support Amble Hatchery. Potting for lobsters is an important fishery in the Northumberland district; the hatchery is highlighting the significance of protecting and ensuring the longevity of this fascinating marine animal and the importance of sustainable fisheries.”

In addition to the grant to support the Seafood Centre and hatchery’s important work to replenish local lobster stocks, NIFCA also donated an interpretation board to the visitor centre.

Please see the latest announcement from Defra about funding set to boost science and innovation in the fishing industry. 

See the link to a blog from the MCA regarding an excellent rescue of a fisherman last week:  https://hmcoastguard.blogspot.com/2021/09/fisherman-survives-overboard-ordeal.html?fbclid=IwAR0Nb_4zIjWf3qqjtE0Oe5D-dbF8tRqt4tBzWHrqBqgo8om63Ng4AhmD4M0

A Trawl Permit is now required for the entire NIFCA district. This includes the outer area (3-6 nautical miles). Vessels must be less than 18.3 metres in overall length.

An exemption is required to trawl within the Specified Area (Coquet to St Mary’s MCZ). Only specified gear operated from a vessel less than 12 metres in overall length are permitted within the Specified Area.

2021 NIFCA Trawl Permit holders can operate as normal unless they wish to trawl within the Specified Area. An exemption will be required (free if a current 2021 Trawl Permit is held). The updated byelaw can be viewed HERE.

The full press release about this can be found here: Press Release – New Trawling Byelaw

If you have any questions, please contact the NIFCA office on 01670 797676.

Defra has launched two calls for evidence from 12 July 2021 to 31 August 2021 to capture views from the fishing sector, wider fishing community and other relevant stakeholders on:

• latent capacity in the over 10m scallop and shellfish sector fleets; and
• impacts of greater restrictions for the under 15m scallop fleet in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To respond to this call for evidence, please follow the link HERE.