Initial drafts of Defra’s first three Fisheries Management Plans (FMP) have been received.
These are the Crab and Lobster, and Whelk draft plans prepared by Seafish in collaboration with the Whelk Management Group and the Crab Management Group respectively, and the English and Welsh King Scallop draft plan by the Scallop Industry Consultation Group Working Group with support from Seafish.
This development of these drafts has been an important step towards collaborative management of our fisheries. Defra would like to thank all who contributed, including delivery partners, working groups and those who engaged at the numerous quayside meetings that have taken place to date.
The next stage of the process is for Defra to review and finalise the content of the draft plans and prepare other documents required before the formal public consultation takes place in the next few months.
Ahead of this, Defra is inviting stakeholders interested in these draft FMPs to join an online session for an overview of key points in the draft plans including initial proposals for management approaches and an explanation of the next steps.
There will also be an opportunity to raise points and ask questions through a Q&A.
The session will be held twice. Reserve your place on your preferred date using the links below:
Wednesday 1 March 17:30-18:30– reserve your place here
Thursday 2 March 13:30-14:30– reserve your place here.
We will record the session and make it available to attendees and anyone who reserved a place but was unable to attend.
There will be further opportunities to give views during the public consultation which will take place before the plans are finalised, published and implemented.
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The MMO has been developing management measures to manage bottom towed gear fishing over rock and reef features in England’s offshore MPAs and from today (Tuesday 17 January), they are launching a formal consultation on the Marine Protected Areas Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw 2023, which prohibits the use of bottom towed fishing gear within specified areas of 13 MPAs in order to conserve rock and reef habitats.
In parallel with the formal consultation, the MMO are also launching a call for evidence on the impacts of remaining fishing gear interactions on seabed features in offshore MPAs in England. Three gear-group specific documents have been developed to establish the evidence base relating to the impacts of different fishing gears on benthic designated features of MPAs. They are now seeking views and further evidence regarding the content of these documents.
Their formal consultation and call for evidence will run from 17 January 2023 to 28 March 2023. The consultation and call for evidence material are available here:
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Please note that our next Quarterly Meeting will be held at East Bedlington Community Centre, 16 & 17 Station Road, Bedlington Station NE22 7JN, on Monday 23rd January 2023 at 1pm.
Agenda items include:-
IFCO Reports on activity in the district, Environmental Report and updates from the Chief Officer.
The meeting is open to all. If you have any queries or would like to attend, please email nifca@nifca.gov.uk
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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/
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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.”