On Thursday the 18^th of January at the Quayside Law Courts in Newcastle, Magistrates found Mr Charles “Michael” Denton of Atlee Terrace, Newbiggin by the Sea, guilty of breaching local fisheries legislation designed to protect key species along the Northumberland Coast. The verdict related to an incident in March 2023 when Mr Denton retained and landed an egg bearing Lobster.

The case was brought against Mr Denton, who did not attend court, by the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA), which manages the inshore fishery along the Northumberland and North Tyneside coastline.

During the trial, Elizabeth Rowley of Andrew Jackson Solicitors prosecuting on behalf of NIFCA, informed the court that on the 15^th of March 2023, Mr Denton, the owner and skipper of the commercial fishing vessel Talisman II BK 176, landed his catch at Blyth harbour. Enforcement officers from NIFCA conducted a landing inspection to ensure the catch complied with local and national legislation, finding that one Lobster was an egg bearing female.

Mr Denton had committed one offence as a NIFCA commercial shellfish permit holder, he had retained and carried a berried lobster aboard a vessel, contrary to NIFCA Byelaw 4. Crustacea and Mollusc Permitting and Pot Limitation and Section 163 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.

After hearing evidence from an enforcement officer, the Bench found Mr Denton guilty in his absence. Noting Mr Denton’s high degree of culpability despite reasonably low harm to the fishery in this instance, as well as his previous convictions for fisheries offences, the Bench agreed to NIFCA’s request to disqualify Mr Denton from holding a shellfish permit to fish for 12 months, also ordering him to pay a fine of £480.00, a further £1,800.00 in prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £192.00.

In 2022, Mr Denton was prosecuted by NIFCA for retaining 179 undersize Lobsters and for failing to comply with fisheries officers. He also has a number of other convictions for fisheries offences covering a 25-year period.

Nick Weir, lead enforcement officer for NIFCA, said: “The Authority is pleased the court recognises the importance of NIFCA byelaws and agreeing that Mr Denton should forfeit his right to a permit to fish along our coast. NIFCA did not take the decision lightly to request that Mr Denton be disqualified from holding a permit. The Authority believes Mr Denton’s continued disregard for legislation designed to protect fish stocks is unacceptable. Preventing shellfish from reproducing is a risk to the long-term sustainability of the fishery and affects the entire fishing community.

“Fishing in Northumberland is an economically sensitive activity and of great social importance to our local heritage and character. Our byelaws in conjunction with national legislation, balance the social, environmental, and economic needs of our stakeholders to promote healthy seas, sustainable fishing and a viable industry. To ensure this, NIFCA will vigorously pursue anyone who jeopardises the health of the fishery or fails to comply with our officers and legislation.”

Please note that our next Quarterly Meeting will be held at Old Committee Room 1 (Block 5), County Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 2EF on Monday 22 January 2024 at 1pm.

The meeting is open to all.  If you have any queries or would like to attend, please email nifca@nifca.gov.uk.

Please note that our Christmas 2023 opening times are as follows:

Monday 25^th December: Closed

Tuesday 26^th December: Closed

Wednesday 27^th December: Closed

Thursday 28^th December: Open 9am to 12.30pm

Friday 29^th December: Open 9am to 12.30pm

Monday 1^st January: Closed

Normal office hours resume Tuesday 2nd January 2024

On the 19^th of October 2023 at North Shields Magistrates Court, Mr Michael William Denton of Newbiggin by the Sea, was found guilty of two offences and pled guilty to a further two offences in which he breached Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) byelaws.

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

Elizabeth Rowley of Andrew Jackson Solicitors prosecuting on behalf of NIFCA, informed magistrates that on the 13^th of October 2022 Fisheries Officers from NIFCA and the Environment Agency observed and recorded Mr Denton aboard a recreational boat fishing using more than the five lobster pots his recreational permit allowed.

The officers proceeded to undertake an inspection on Mr Denton’s catch after he had returned to the shore finding three further offences. Mr Denton had taken more than two lobsters in a day and landed 21 lobsters that were beneath the minimum conservation reference size, three of which were egg baring.

Mr Denton a commercial fisherman, represented by Paul Dunn of Lawson and Thompson solicitors, pleaded guilty to fishing with more than five pots and taking more than two lobsters.

He was found guilty of the other offences and found to have caused deliberate harm to the fishery. The court ordered Mr Denton to pay a fine of £480, a victim surcharge of £192 and contribute £400 in costs.

Nick Weir, lead enforcement officer at NIFCA, said: “The Authority is happy with the court’s findings and for the continued support it has demonstrated towards the work we do. We would also like to thank the Environment Agency for its assistance during this investigation. Fishing for shellfish in Northumberland is vitally important to commercial fishers and a source of great enjoyment for responsible recreational fishers.

“Northumberland IFCA will vigorously pursue any person that deliberately harms the fishery or ignores byelaws that balance the social, environmental and economic needs of our stakeholders as we strive to promote healthy seas, sustainable fishing and maintain a viable industry.”

Please note that our next Quarterly Meeting will be held at The Hub, Seahouses Sports & Community Centre, Stone Close, Seahouses, NE68 7YL on Monday 23rd October 2023 at 1pm.

The meeting is open to all. If you have any queries or would like to attend, please email nifca@nifca.gov.uk

An article in this week’s Fishing News summarises the work by Sarah Coulthard on behalf of NIFCA to explore fisher’s ideas about what should be in a national crab and lobster Fisheries Management Plan (FMP). Thank you to Sarah and all of the fishers who gave their time during the interview. The work provides a valuable insight into the fishing industry throughout Northumberland and information will be invaluable to NIFCA’s FMP response. The article can be read in this weeks Fishing News here and the full report can be found here.