Following unanimous agreement at the Bivalve Mollusc Working Group (BMWG) meeting held on 3rd May 2018, NWIFCA has issued an Authorisation to Byelaw 3 permit holders to remove undersize mussel from a specified area on the South America/Falklands skears in north Morecambe Bay. The authorisation is limited to specific tides for 6 days starting on 14th May. Full details of conditions under which all gathering must be carried out are within the authorisation, along with the mapping and co-ordinates of the only areas open for fishing. The authorisation can be found here: South America/Falklands Authorisation A full Habitats Regulations Assessment for this fishery is available here: South America/Falklands HRA Further discussion on this area will take place at the next BMWG meeting to be held on 6th June following further survey and inspection.

Recruitment is now closed The MMO is seeking to recruit two members for the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. Interest is welcomed from those with experience and interest in commercial fishing; recreational fishing; the marine environment; or other relevant interest and experience. Full details are available on the MMO website here. Please note that the vacancies are voluntary roles. Any queries regarding the vacancies should be directed to: [email protected] or telephone 0208 225 6659 or 0208 026 5171.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) have updated their Good Fish Guide to advise people on which species of fish and shellfish are more sustainable sources of food. MCS believe it is time to swap the traditional UK Top Five consumed species (Cod, Tuna, Salmon, Haddock and Prawns) with local and more sustainable alternatives. Locally sourced means fresher fish, lower food miles and a boost for the local economy. The new and exciting species that have been added to the green rated ‘Best Choice’ list include Megrim, Turbot, Pollack, Lemon Sole and Queen Scallop from some sources. However, some fisheries for species such as Red Mullet, Wild Seabass and Atlantic Bigeye Tuna have moved onto the red ‘Avoid’ list. It is important to check the information about the fisheries and farming sources of each species as ratings do not apply to all sources for all species. For more information on the MCS Good Fish Guide check out this link.  

The Coastal Partnerships Network has organised a Coastal Challenge Summit with the aim to bring together a wide range of different organisations and networks working with coastal communities. This event will be held from 10am-4pm on 24th April 2018 at Europe House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3EU. Why now? Our coast and its communities face a range of complex challenges and opportunities. At a national level the current sectoral approach to the management, regeneration and promotion of our coasts is acting as a brake on the potential of coastal communities to thrive. In response to this, a variety of different groups and networks have formed, all with differences in focus but significant overlaps of interest. England’s first Coastal Challenge Summit will bring together the experience, influence, enterprise and ambition of Coastal Partnerships, Coastal Community Teams, Local Enterprise Partnerships and other coastal stakeholders to network and innovate in a ‘Challenge’ style event. English Coastal Challenge Summit Aims To explore and build opportunities for collaboration To address parallelism and duplication To start the process of developing 21st Century policies and actions for our coastal communities, industries and assets Who should attend? This event is aimed primarily at participants actively involved in Coastal Partnerships,…

The North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority has complied a report which outlines the considerations that need to be taken before a commercial razor clam fishery can be permitted within the NWIFCA District. The NWIFCA would now encourage the fishing industry to seek to collaborate with NWIFCA scientists, academic institutes and others to discuss whether it is possible to develop a research programme that would address the identified key gaps in knowledge. Any potential collaborators are invited to contact Mandy Knott ([email protected]) at the NWIFCA before the end of March 2018, so that discussions can be convened and a report on the feasibility of progressing a research programme can be submitted to the May 2018 meeting of the Technical, Science & Byelaws Sub-Committee. A full copy of the report is available for download below: Razor Clams in the North Western IFCA District

It is with great sadness that we pass on the news that Keith Willacy a retired, long serving, fishery officer has died aged 81. Keith was a member of the then Lancashire and Western Sea Fisheries Joint Committee from July 1967 to September 1969.  He also served on the Finance Sub-Committee during that time. Following his resignation from the Joint Committee Keith was appointed mate and engineer of the patrol vessel.  In November 1973 he was appointed Fishery Officer for the Northern Area (River Lune to River Dee). In January 1990 Keith was appointed Deputy Chief Fishery Officer of the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee.  In July 1996 Keith was presented to HRH the Prince of Wales during the launch of Fisheries Patrol Vessel (FPV) “Aegis” in Conwy.  At the same time he received an award from the Joint Committee in recognition of his 25 years of service with the committee. In September 1999 Keith was appointed Acting Clerk and Chief Fishery Officer (CCFO) in the absence of the Clerk on long-term sick leave, before he retired in 2001 after 34 years’ service as member and officer of the Joint Committee. Reflecting on his service as a…

North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NWIFCA) is calling for fishermen and women to follow a Voluntary Ban on placing nets around St Bees starting 1st March 2018. Although thankfully not a common occurrence, there have been distressing reports in the past of numbers of birds getting caught up in the nets and drowning. Obviously no one wants or intends this, and fishers themselves have been deeply upset when it has occurred. As fisheries regulators the NWIFCA has a duty to ensure that netting is not having a damaging effect on birds. The breeding season is the crucial time for seabirds such as razorbills and guillemots nesting on the cliffs at St Bees. Following meetings with fishers, Natural England and the RSPB the NWIFCA Technical Science and Byelaws Sub-committee (TSB) agreed the introduction of a Voluntary Code of Practice to be brought in in 2018. A copy of the report is available here. St Bees is an important cliff habitat for breeding seabirds, and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It also lies within the Cumbria Coast Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ). Many of the bird species are diving birds which have the potential to become…

The European Commission has published a stakeholder survey “Reducing marine litter: actions on single use plastics and abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear” as part of the follow up to their Plastics Strategy that looks at marine litter. A shift in consumer usage towards single-use plastic, combined with the difficulty in disposing this abundant material, has resulted in millions of tonnes of plastic ending up in the oceans and harming marine life. On top of this, an additional source of marine plastic waste comes from the fisheries and aquaculture sectors when fishing gear is lost or discarded. Marine plastic pollution has serious environmental and economical impacts, and it has been forecast that by 2050 there will be more plastics than fish in our oceans. Rising amounts of plastic waste and marine litter are among the key problems that the European Commission Action Plan for a Circular Economy (2015) seeks to address. The European Commission welcome any input to the consultation from stakeholders in the maritime sector. More information about the plastic waste strategy can be found on the European Commission website here.  

The Marine Management Organisation have organised two stakeholder engagement events for the North West: Whitehaven – Wednesday 7th February 2018 Liverpool – Thursday 8th February 2018 These events are an ideal opportunity to check the progress towards the development of the North West Marine Plan. Further details can be found here.  If you have any questions about these events, please contact [email protected].

The North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NWIFCA) is aware of public concern over Halite’s gas storage development at Preesall on the Wyre Estuary and the impact of the brine discharge on the marine environment. A report by the Senior Scientist on the role of NWIFCA and the background to the development was tabled at the Authority meeting on 8th December and is available here: Preesall Gas Storage and Brine Discharge Report.

The New Vessel In early 2018, the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NWIFCA) will receive its new patrol vessel. The vessel will replace the Solway Protector which has seen over 30 years of service. The new vessel, which began life as turbine transport vessel, is currently undergoing substantial alterations at Holyhead Marine to fit its new purpose as a fisheries patrol vessel. The alterations include: Wet and dry laboratory facilities RIB launching facilities A Crane Net and pot hauler Officers have made regular site visits to inspect the progress made on the new vessel. A gallery of images taken by officers at each inspection can be found here. Naming Vessels At the Authority meeting on 8th December it was decided that the new vessel will be called the North Western Protector. A name is still needed for the custom built RIB. In the past, Inshore Fisheries Patrol Vessels have been named in several different ways. For example, some had names drawn from their purpose, such as the Aegis meaning shield or protection. This time, the NWIFCA is appealing to the public to suggest names for the vessel. For inspiration, here’s what officers have come up with so far: Idea Examples Local Saints St Rigby…

Seafish have released a report on their 2017 pilot survey of employment within the UK fishing industry. The survey covered a sample of 313 UK fishing vessels and 914 jobs. The report covers the methodology, development and lessons learnt as well as a summary of the findings. You can download the full report from Seafish by following this link: Seafish 2017 Pilot Fleet Employment Survey Seafish are requesting feedback to help improved future editions of the report. You can provide feedback by following this link: Seafish Report Feedback