Newcastle University are looking for members of the public to get involved in identifying marine non-native species around our coast. For more information and to learn how you can get involved, click HERE. 

The Coastal Communities Minister has announced that the government’s Coastal Communities Fund has opened for bids to transform the UK’s coastal communities. The £40 million round of applications supports the economic transformation of UK coastal communities by giving funding to create sustainable economic growth and jobs.

More details of this available fund can be found HERE

NIFCA will be attending the Great North Museum: Hancock on Wednesday 14 March from 1.30pm to 4pm. This event, hosted by the Environment Agency in partnership with Naturvation and the Newcastle Learning and Action Alliance, is to showcase the work taking place across the North East to improve the environment and protect people and property.

With more than 30 stalls from organisations across the North East, these partner organisations will demonstrate how they are working together to create a better place for people and wildlife.

The free event will look at topics such as flood risk management to ecology and biodiversity, and reducing the impact of minewater to tackling invasive species as well as many other topics centred on the health of our environment, including rivers, estuaries, coast and groundwater.

The event is open to everyone including partners, businesses and the general public. More details can be found Hancock museum event

Due to the very poor weather and atrocious road conditions in Northumberland and north of the river Tyne, the NIFCA office will close today at 3pm and be closed tomorrow when the weather forecast is for even worse conditions and hopefully re-open Friday morning.

Best wishes to everybody for safe journeys.

Link HERE to video regarding gear marking – this will be of interest to commercial and recreational boat users.

Maritime charities Seafarers UK and Cornwall Rural Community Charity (CRCC) are working together to carry out a UK-wide project to survey fishermen, their families and fishing communities. The survey aims to understand community and individual needs and challenges better, and to identify examples of projects or activities that are working to tackle these.

Link to obtain further information – http://www.seafarers.uk/news/national-survey-to-give-a-voice-to-fishing-communities.

Link to the survey – https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/fishing17