Mark has worked in the environmental field since 2007 and joined the national marine regulator, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in 2010 as an enforcement officer. During his twelve-year career with the MMO, he worked across enforcement, investigations, training and Brexit, and latterly, headed up their Training and North West Operational Teams. After leaving the MMO for a brief stint with Ribble Rivers Trust as their Head of Conservation, Mark joined the Authority in April 2023 as our new CEO.

Mark is passionate about the marine environment and the coastal communities of the North West of England and is always seeking to lead the Authority towards new, innovative ways of delivering its statutory responsibilities. He loves working with such a dedicated, talented group of colleagues, and relishes the opportunities to engage with our wide variety of members and stakeholders.

Prior to joining NWIFCA in March 2021, Alison spent over twenty years at a national builders merchants, starting on the trade counter to and working her way up the ladder, spending over ten years as a Senior Operations Manager.
Alison joined NWIFCA as our Clerk. In 2023, she took up the role of Head of Administration where she oversees all the work of the Admin Team. The team delivers our finance and HR functions, organises our various committee meetings, manages and maintains all our assets, runs our fisheries permit schemes and processes all our enforcement and fisheries data.

Andy has been an enforcement officer within NWIFCA since its inception in 2011. Prior to this he worked as a Fisheries Officer with North Western Sea Fisheries Committee. Before joining NWSFC he spent 25 years in the Royal Marines. Outside his present role within NWIFCA he is a Major within the Royal Marines Reserves.

As SIFCO, Andy oversees the work of the Enforcement Team in the southern part of the district, from the Dee Estuary all the way up to Arnside.

Ian is the senior officer in charge of the middle part of the district, from the River Kent to the River Duddon, which includes the one of Europe largest mussel fisheries at Foulney and the major cockle fishery off Flookburgh.

Erik was a trawler skipper in the 1980s and 90s before before joining Cumbria Sea Fisheries Committee (CSFC) in 1999. He was Deputy Master of CSFC’s old patrol vessel Solway Protector and also senior shore officer.

Erik now fulfils a dual role covering shore-based duties in the northern part of the district whilst also acting as the Deputy Master of North Western Protector when it goes to sea.

Chris started with NWIFCA in 2023.

He previously worked as a consultant, in the roles of scientific officer and fisheries observer with international fishing fleets in the Antarctic Ocean.

He participated in conservation work with local and international NGOs, including project and scientific monitoring management over the last two decades.

He has also worked in arboriculture / forestry, completing projects in Northumberland to promote species conservation and regeneration and habitat protection.

Jon has been with NWIFCA since 2015, where he joined as a Science Officer. In recent years, he has fulfilled the role of Senior Science Officer.

His previous employment has included environmental and scientific officer for NEIFCA, a benthic technician for an ecological consultancy, a marine graduate with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, as well as working for Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust on conservation land management.

Gemma joined NWIFCA in 2022. Prior to that, she worked in the Environmental Team at Menter Mon, a not for profit organisation in Anglesey. There, she worked on interesting projects safeguarding local water vole populations and working with local communities to improve their local natural environment.

Kate has worked here since 2021, joining us from a chartered accountancy firm where she worked in the Admin Team for 13 years.

Kate leads on all our fisheries permit schemes and processing of all our enforcement and fisheries data.