NWIFCA’s Technical Science and Byelaws Sub-Committee have approved by majority the recommendation that Leasowe cockle bed should be closed under NWSFC Byelaw 13a, due to stock levels being below those required for bird food mitigation for overwintering oystercatchers and that the fishery would not be Habitats Regulations compliant. Leasowe cockle bed will be closed under NWSFC Byelaw 13a from 1st September 2020.

The Seed mussel fishery at South America will open to Byelaw 3 permit holders for hand gathering on 20/08/20. The authorisation is available to view and download below. Click here to download the Authorisation Click here to view the HRA   AUTHORISATION TO FISH UNDERSIZED MUSSELS FROM SOUTH AMERICA 2020 All Current NWIFCA Byelaw 3 Permit Holders With effect from: 20/08/2020 Expiry Date: 18/09/2020 All current Byelaw 3 permit holders are hereby authorised, under Byelaw 3, paragraph 6 (Minimum Sizes) to fish undersized mussels from South America, in the permitted fishing and transiting area as defined in paragraph 2 and illustrated in Annex A, and are responsible for complying with the conditions given below at paragraph 1. 1. Conditions of Authorisation This authorisation is issued subject to the following conditions. (a)        It is only valid for the period from 20/08/2020 to 18/09/2020. (b)        That fishing for seed mussel is only authorised west of the line B-C as defined in para. 2 and illustrated in Annex A. (c)        That the mussels shall only be gathered by hand or with a rake. (d)        The NWIFCA will close the fishery during periods of prolonged cold weather. (e)        The authorisation is only valid for…

At the meeting of the NWIFCA’s Technical Science and Byelaws Sub-Committee 11th August, approval was given for the opening of the following cockle fisheries from 1st September in Morecambe Bay: Newbiggin, Leven Sands, Flookburgh, Pilling Sands. The stock is of a low level quantity. Aldingham will remain closed until classified, which  expected mid October. A decision on Leasowe cockle bed will be announced next week. The recommendation is that it should be closed under NWSFC Byelaw 13a. Stock levels are below those required for bird food mitigation for overwintering oystercatchers and the fishery would not be Habitats Regulations compliant. All other cockle beds within the District will be closed under NWSFC Byelaw 13a and CSFC Byelaw 18 from 1st September.

NWIFCA’s Technical Science and Byelaws Sub-Committee held an Extraordinary meeting on 4th August to discuss management of the mussels at South America. They heard representation from both the hand-gathering and the dredge harvest sectors, and the recommendation from the Senior Scientist. TSB approved the following: The seed mussel fishery be allowed, subject to HRA, authorisation for both dredge and hand-gathering for a period of one month from the date of authorisation. The division of the seed mussel fishery shall be equal, with the hand-gatherers operating on the western side. Further management decisions will be considered after subsequent review. Due to the tight timeframe Natural England have not yet been able to respond to the HRA submitted to them on Wednesday 12th August. NWIFCA is confident that the fishery is compliant with the Habitats Regulations and is therefore giving notice that it intends to issue the authorisation to NWIFCA Byelaw 3 permit holders for hand-gathering of seed mussel in the area illustrated in the authorisation from Thursday 20th August, and to issue permits to dredge seed mussel in the area illustrated in the permit conditions from the evening tide of Monday 24th August. Should Natural England advice raise serious and concrete…

An extraordinary meeting of the Technical, Science and Byelaws Committee will be held at 14:00 on 4th August 2020. The meeting will be streamed live to Youtube so that members of the public can view the proceedings. You can find full information about the meeting on the meetings event page. If you have any queries please contact us at [email protected] or by phone at 01524 727970.

Heysham Flat Seed Mussel Fishery will open to Byelaw 3 permit holders on 3rd August 2020 and will run until 31st December 2020, with the exception of bank holiday Monday (31st August 2020). The authorisation is posted below. Access permits must be obtained from Lancaster City Council to attend the fishery. Heysham Flat Seed Mussel Fishery Authorisation Authorisation to Fish Undersized Mussels from Heysham Flat Skear 2020   All current NWIFCA Byelaw 3 Permit Holders Date: 22/07/20 With effect from: 03/08/20 Expiry Date: 31/12/20 All current Byelaw 3 permit holders are hereby authorised, under Byelaw 3, paragraph 6 (Minimum Sizes) to fish undersized mussels from Heysham Flat, in the permitted fishing and transiting area as defined in paragraph 2 and illustrated in Annex A, and are responsible for complying with the conditions given below at paragraph 1. 1. Conditions of Authorisation This authorisation is issued subject to the following conditions. (a) It is only valid for the period from 03/08/2020 to 31/12/2020, excluding Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2020. (b) That the mussels shall only be gathered by hand or with a rake. (c) That fishing shall take place only from Monday to Friday inclusive, during daylight hours, defined as…

To help fishers ensure their safety the Fishing Industry Safety Group has launched a new campaign ‘Home and Dry’. The campaign highlights a day at sea and the simple steps that skippers and their crew can take to ensure their safety at sea. The website contains useful information about safety and the legislation that must be followed. For more information visit the Home and Dry website.

Please see the poster below for details on the Webinar hosted by Wyre Rivers Trust. Any queries regarding the event should be sent to [email protected].

Following discussion at the multi-sectoral Bivalve Mollusc Working Group (BMWG) and approval by NWIFCA Technical Science and Byelaws Sub-committee (TSB) officers are working to open a seed mussel fishery on the following beds at Fleetwood – Perch Scar (8.9ha) and Black Scar (6.1ha). Seed mussel on these areas has a history of settling densely, growing rapidly, becoming unstable and washing away through natural processes in a matter of weeks. Officers continue to monitor the stock, and providing the mussel puts down sufficient mud to ensure protection of the cobble substrate from dredge gear and is in imminent risk of being washed away, will issue permits to dredge in accordance with NWIFCA Restrictions on the Use of a Dredge Byelaw 2017. The fishery is also subject to a Habitats Regulations Assessment. Due to the speed at which events can occur, applications for permits are invited now and can be downloaded below or obtained from the office by emailing [email protected]. Dredge Permit Application Form Seed Mussel Supplementary Form  

In June 2019, the Secretary of State announced a review to examine whether and how the strongest protections for areas of sea, known as Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), could be introduced. The review concludes that HPMAs are an essential component of the Marine Protected Areas network, and government should introduce them into Secretary of State waters. It provides 25 recommendations covering what HPMAs are and how they should be identified and managed. The review was led by former Environment and Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon. The review ran from June 2019 to June 2020. The review considered the waters for which the Secretary of State has responsibility: the English inshore and offshore and Northern Ireland offshore zones. For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highly-protected-marine-areas-hpmas-review-2019 If you have any queries regarding Highly Protected Marine Areas please contact Defra. Email: [email protected]

North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority MARINE AND COASTAL ACCESS ACT 2009 (c.23) NORTH WIRRAL FORESHORE BIVALVE MOLLUSC EMERGENCY BYELAW 2020 The Authority for the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation District, in exercise of the power conferred by section 157 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 makes the following byelaw for that District. Interpretation 1) In this byelaw a) “the Authority” means the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority as defined in articles 3 and 4 of the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Order 2010 (S.l. 2010 No. 2200 ); b) “District” means the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation District as defined in articles 2 and 3 of the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Order 2010, and in the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation (Amendment) Order 2019 which came into force on 27th September 2019; c)”fishery” means any area of sea, seabed, exposed estuary, seashore, or other marine environment in any part of the District; d) “bivalve molluscan shellfish” means any species of bivalve mollusc; e) “fish” or “fishing” includes all activities related to fishing by hand of bivalve molluscan shellfish or from a fishery in the District including harvesting, taking,…

From the sea to the door: New grant scheme to support seafood businesses in England to sell catches New £1 million grant scheme opened today to increase supply of local seafood Seafood businesses can bid for funds for assets and infrastructure to sell seafood Part of a £10 million fund for England’s fishing and aquaculture sectors The government has today opened for applications a new Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme, which will fund projects that will help seafood businesses in England increase the supply of local seafood to domestic markets. The £1 million scheme, first announced by Defra and HM Treasury on 17 April, is part of a £10 million fund for England’s fishing and aquaculture sectors that have been adversely impacted by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. As well as this financial support, qualifying seafood businesses may also qualify for other Government support. MMO has produced a guide to what is available. This scheme will help seafood businesses adapt to changes in their markets caused by COVID-19 by helping fund changes to businesses and/or infrastructure that will help them to sell their products domestically, and support projects that increase domestic consumption of seafood landed or processed in England. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will accept…