Defra is seeking views on a proposed ban on landing egg-bearing lobsters and crawfish in England. The aim of the ban is to protect stocks of these shellfish. Defra particularly want to hear from fishing and vessel owners and fishing licence/shellfish entitlement holders. The consultation ends on 15th May 2017. For further information and to participate visit the Defra website.

The Emergency Byelaw: Restrictions on Fishing for Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish 2016 has been extended until 1 August 2017. For more information see the Emergency Byelaw and the confirmation of extension.

The Science team at the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (the NWIFCA) are working on a Recreational Sea Angling Strategy and need your help! We understand sea angling brings many personal, social and economic benefits to the individuals, businesses and communities near the coast. Your knowledge, views and opinions will help us find out what is important to you and will help the Strategy grow over time. The NWIFCA seeks to balance the needs of people who use the sea; with the aim to sustainably manage sea fisheries resources. To achieve this, we need to learn more about sea angling in our district – the North West coast of England. We hope to reach as many sea anglers in the North West as possible. Send us an email at [email protected] and let us know what you think are the main issues that affect sea angling at the moment. You can download a working copy of the strategy here. Don’t forget to register as a stakeholder to have your say in the future.

Information from Defra – Bird Flu Case in Lancashire, January 2017 “On 24 January 2017, a case of avian influenza H5N8 was confirmed in a commercial flock of farmed breeding pheasants at Pilling, Wyre, Lancashire. Some birds at the premises have died and the remaining birds will be humanely culled. We have put in place a 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone around the infected premises to limit the risk of the disease spreading. Specific information about the restriction is set out in the Avian Influenza declaration, Lancashire (24 January 2017) (PDF, 511KB, 14 pages)”. The Pilling Sand cockle fishery lies adjacent to the infected areas and within the 3km Protection Zone. In order to minimise any risk of spread of contamination to wild birds in Morecambe Bay and elsewhere the NWIFCA strongly recommends that individuals take measures to disinfect vehicles (including ATVs), boots, clothing and fishing equipment prior to leaving the area. NWIFCA ask that this practice extends to other areas such as the Dee Estuary, the Mersey Estuary, the Ribble Estuary, Duddon Estuary and the Solway Estuary, all areas of large winter aggregations of wild birds as good practice and as a precautionary biosecurity measure. Defra…

The Marine Management Organisation is holding two workshops in the North West to discuss the North West Marine Plan. The workshops provide the opportunity to feedback on the development of the north west marine plan. It will look at how the plan is progressing and how the information from the Call for Issues with Supporting Evidence is being used. The dates for the workshops are: Blackpool Tuesday 28 February 2017 9:30am to 4:00pm Hilton Hotel Carlisle Wednesday 1 March 2017 9:30am to 4:00pm Hallmark Hotel For more information and to book online visit eventbrite page. If you have any questions please contact Sam Wright at the Marine Management Organisation via email or by phone (0208 225 7095).

Defra are seeking views on the proposals to ban the manufacture and sale of micro-plastics in personal care products and cosmetics. The consultation also aims to gather evidence on the impact of other sources of potential marine plastic pollution. For further information see Defra’s consultation page and consultation document. You can respond to the consultation using the online survey on Defra’s website or you can submit written responses to the address below. Marine Litter Policy Team Defra Area 8B Millbank c/o Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR Email: [email protected]

Due to some shifting of sands and cockle on the Leven Sands cockle bed the area has been slightly amended to include a small extension to the south-east of the bed. Please refer to the map in the authorisation in relation to point B. All other conditions within the authorisation remain unchanged. Download the authorisation. NWSFC BYELAW 13A AUTHORISATION TO REMOVE COCKLES FROM LEVEN SANDS BED, MORECAMBE BAY 2016 Issue Date:   16th December 2016 Expiry Date:   30th April 2017    All Byelaw 3 permit holders are hereby authorised to remove size cockles, between and inclusive of the dates specified, from the Leven Sands bed defined at paragraphs 2 and 3 in accordance with this authorisation, and are responsible for complying with the conditions given below at paragraph 1. 1. Conditions of Authorisation to Remove Size Cockle This authorisation is issued subject to the following conditions. a) Removal of size cockles is permitted only during the period 16th December 2016 to 30th April 2017 inclusive. b) That size cockle is only gathered from the Leven Sands cockle bed as defined by the authorised box in paragraph 2. c) Access to and access from the fishery will be via the…

An area of Heysham Flat has been closed under Byelaw 13a to protect the Honeycomb worm (Sabellaria alveolata) reef. For more information see the closure details below. Heysham Flat Mussel Fishery Part Bed Closure Under Byelaw 13A, no person shall remove, take or disturb any mussel within the part of the mussel bed shown in the map below and bound by the co-ordinates given, at Heysham Flat, Morecambe Bay, with effect from 00:01 of Tuesday 13th December 2016, until midnight of 30th June 2017. These positions are referred to the WGS(84) datum (degrees and decimal minutes). For further information, contact the Authority’s Carnforth Office. Notes The closure is necessary to protect the Sabellaria alveolata (honeycomb worm) reef feature of the European Marine Site. The closure applies to all people fishing for mussels, whether for pleasure or profit, and whatever the fishing method. Download the Closure Notice

John Ward Agency (Fleetwood) Limited has been fined £2,365 following a guilty plea for fisheries offences at Blackpool Magistrates Court. The Marine Management Organisation began investigations after receiving information on 18 September 2016. The MMO discovered that John Ward Agency (Fleetwood) had failed to submit 100 sales notes relating to sales of fish from various under 10 metre vessels. On 24 November 2015, a joint inspection by MMO Marine Enforcement Officers and North West Inshore Fisheries Conservation Officers found the merchant had offered 47 undersized plaice for sale. The court ordered that John Ward Agency (Fleetwood) Limited pay a £1,200 fine (reduced from £1,800 due to an early guilty plea), £1,045 in investigation costs and a £120 Victim Surcharge. A spokesman for the MMO said: “Whilst the court recognised that the non-submission of sales notes was a genuine error by John Ward Agency (Fleetwood) Limited and a product of a bad administrative process, the number of sales notes and the quantities of fish therein was significant. The court acknowledged it was vital that the MMO had a clear and accurate picture of the quantities of sea fish being landed and sold. Hopefully this case emphasises the importance of accurate record keeping…

Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have started formal consultations on the Solway Firth potential Special Protection Area (pSPA). The consultation will run until midnight on 17th January 2017. Further information is available on the SNH website here.

Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) have started formal consultations on the proposed changes to Liverpool Bay / Bae Lerpwl potential Special Protection Area (pSPA). The consultation period ends at 17:00 on 8th February 2017. More information is available on the consultation page here.

The science team has created a leaflet about the current fisheries in Morecambe Bay. The leaflet contains information on the fishery and the biology of the Common Cockle. Click here to download.