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

Defra are introducing a national prohibition on landing berried Lobsters and Crawfish for UK registered fishing vessels. The prohibition will come into force on 1st October 2017 and will apply in English waters and ports. The ban follows a consultation ran by Defra earlier this year. A summary of which can be viewed here. Further information is available on the Marine Management Organisation Website.

The deadline for applications for members has been extended by the Marine Management Organisations (MMO) to the 28th September 2017. The MMO is seeking to recruit three 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.

Defra has committed to banning the manufacture and sale of cosmetics and personal care products contain microbeads which may harm the marine environment. Defra plan to bring the plan into force at the end of 2017, with the ban on manufacture beginning on 1st January 2018 and the ban on sale beginning on 30th June 2018. A draft of the legislation is available to view until 15th October 2017 at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/banning-the-use-of-microbeads-in-cosmetics-and-personal-care-products Any person may make representations on the draft legislation for England in writing to the Secretary of State. Any such representations should be sent by 15th October 2017 to: Marine Litter Policy Team, Defra, 8B Millbank, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR or by email to [email protected]

The Marine Management Organisation is seeking to recruit three 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 Environment Agency have published the briefing below regarding Atlantic Salmon. If you have any queries regarding Pacific pink salmon please contact the Environment Agency through the means provided at the end of the article. Brief background Over recent weeks the Environment Agency has received an unusually high number of reports of Pacific pink salmon (Onchorhyncus gorbuscha) which have been captured in both rod and net fisheries in North East of England. To date, we believe that over 200 pink salmon have been captured in the North East coast salmon net fishery with an increasing number of reports from rod and line anglers within freshwater, particularly in Scotland and Ireland. There is a possibility that these fish might be present in other rivers throughout England and Wales following the recent capture of a pink salmon in County Cork, Ireland. Pink salmon are the smallest and most abundant of the five Pacific salmon species and are a non-native salmon species within the North Atlantic Area.    Where have Pacific Pink salmon come from? Pacific pink salmon are also known as humpback salmon and originate from the northern areas of the Pacific Ocean. Significant numbers of pink salmon have been stocked in the White…