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The Review aims to (1) assess existing MCRS limits, which are currently applicable across the District, and (2), to consider whether there is a need to introduce MCRS’s for additional species, which are not currently subject to a MCRS within the District.

The ‘Call for Information’ is open until 20 ^th July 2021.

Please visit our ‘ Live Consultations ’ page for more information and to access the online survey.

These measures aim to balance the different needs of persons engaged in the exploitation of sea fisheries resources in the Southern IFC District, in line with the Authority’s duties under the Marine and Coastal Access Act, 2009. Recreational sea angling is popular activity in the Southern IFC District and the pier locations in this Code of Practice provide important access for participants. Concerns have been raised over the potential for fishing nets, when used near these pier structures, to negatively impact recreational sea angling activity.

This Code of Practice was developed through the Southern IFCA Netting Review as a first alternative to a byelaw as sector representatives from the Recreational Angling Sector Group (RASG) and the South Coast Fisherman’s Council (SCFC) have identified the potential to address the matter through small changes in fishing practice.

This Code of Practice will be reviewed no later than 31 ^st December 2022. Should the code prove ineffective, Southern IFCA will consider the introduction of regulatory measures.

The Authority will now publicise these new measures amongst the fishing community, we would welcome your support in doing so. A useful poster can be DOWNLOADED HERE. If you would like to report information to the Authority relating to the possible non-compliance of this code you can complete the form on our website (Contact Us : Southern IFCA (southern-ifca.gov.uk)) or call 01202 721373. When doing so, please remember to include a description of the fishing gear and vessels.

As part owner of fishing vessel Sky PE1232, Mr. Andrew Skinner pleaded guilty to charges of retaining a quantity of undersized clams aboard his vessel and to obstructing enforcement officers from the Southern Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (Southern IFCA).

As master and part owner of fishing vessel Sky PE1232, Mr. Christopher Skinner pleaded guilty to retaining a quantity of undersized clams.

The court heard how on 12 ^th December 2019 in Poole Harbour, both brothers were fishing from different vessels. Christopher Skinner, aboard Sky PE1232, returned from a day’s fishing close to the area of his mooring, where he discarded numerous bags of shellfish out of view in shallow water. Soon afterwards, in a slightly different location nearby, Southern IFCA officers saw Andrew Skinner load 9 bags of shellfish into the back of his vehicle.

Warranted officers from the Southern IFCA attended the area to carry out an inspection of Andrew Skinner’s catch and vehicle for compliance with the regulations, but Andrew Skinner prevented the officers from doing so by driving off. The officers made several attempts to stop Mr. Skinner, using hand signals and verbal commands, but Andrew Skinner repeatedly failed to comply with officer instructions. The officers eventually had to take evasive action to avoid being struck by his fast moving vehicle.

Officers remained in the area. As the tide receded, the shellfish previously discarded by Christopher Skinner came into view. In total 9 bags of clams, weighing 332.3kg with an estimated first sale value of between £1329.20 and £1,827.65, were recovered by Southern IFCA officers. The catch was inspected for compliance with the minimum size regulations and an average of 75.9% of the clams were below the minimum conservation reference size of 35mm. Officers returned the seized catch to the harbour alive. Minimum conservation reference sizes are established to ensure the protection of juvenile marine species. They allow individuals to reproduce at least once before they are removed from a fishery.

Andrew Skinner and Christopher Skinner were both fined £400, both ordered to pay £400 towards prosecution costs and both ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £40.

Acting Deputy Chief Officer Sam Dell said, “Obstruction of the Authority’s officers will not be tolerated. The Marine and Coastal Access Act gives officers common enforcement powers to carryout inspections and provides robust legislation to assist officers in regard to this type of misconduct.  Southern IFCA is committed to protecting the fishery to ensure healthy seas, sustainable fisheries and a viable industry. By taking offenders to court we aim to support a sustainable local fishery.”

The court heard how on the night of 12 ^th January 2020 in Poole Harbour Mr. Hennessy was fishing from an unregistered, unlicenced fishing boat. Mr. Hennessy was intercepted by Southern IFCA officers aboard the Fisheries Patrol Vessel. He was asked by officers to stop, to allow an inspection of his vessel, but he failed to do so. The officers were obstructed in the performance of their officer functions when Mr. Hennessy threw his catch and fishing equipment overboard.
 

Mr. Hennessy was fined £150 for obstructing enforcement officer Adam Parry and a further £150 for failing to comply with a direction reasonably given by officer Parry. In addition, Mr. Hennessy was ordered to pay £500 towards prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £32.

We’ve updated our website in a number of ways to make it easier to navigate, easier to find and access our documents, more informative and more modern. You should now be able to find everything you need to know about us and our work on our website. Here are just a few of the ways we have done this:

• All Management Measures available to download and print as individual PDFs
• Management measures separated by fishing activity e.g. Pots & Traps and Rod and Line
• Fisheries & Research pages e.g. Solent Dredge Fisheries which hold information including Stock assessments, Marine Protected Area Assessments & Management Plans.
• FAQs to help answer those quick and common questions
• Pages which give an up-to-date summary of our Ongoing Management Reviews
• Quick Downloads page holding all those helpful leaflets and regularly requested documents.

If you have any feedback on our new website, good or bad, please feel free to Contact Us .

The following statement is from the gov.uk website:

"The current Bass Measures 2020 as per Article 10 of  Council Regulation 2020/123  will carry over on 1 January 2021. Landings limits in 2021 will provisionally stay the same until further notice into the new year, once annual negotiations for 2021 have been completed, and any implementation steps to be taken at UK level to take any changes into account have taken place. Current bass authorisations continue to be valid, please continue to refer to the Gov Bass Fishing Guidance 2020. "
 

Please note that the National Lockdown rules may prohibit certain leisure activities. Be sure to check the national and local lockdown rules to ensure that recreational sea angling is allowed before going fishing.
 

https://www.sportengland.org/how-we-can-help/coronavirus/return-play/frequently-asked-questions-national-lockdown-restrictions

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, Food Safety and Port Health officers are registering and inspecting all fishing vessels whose home port is within its area. This will cover Poole and Christchurch.

Priority for inspections will be given to fishing boats that supply buyers / merchants or export direct to the EU. Without registration and inspection after the 1st January 2021, shellfish, crab and lobster etc will not be able to be exported to the EU without being able to provide full traceability for the issuing of health certificates.

Please email porthealth@bcpcouncil.gov.uk to arrange registration and inspection.

Following contact, they will forward a food registration form and a basic checklist to be completed prior to inspection and arrange a time and place to inspection your vessel.

If you land into another local council area – contact your local council for relevant information. However, if you land your catch in an area outside of BCP, but export your catch through a Poole merchant or export business, then you will need to register with us. If you are unsure where to register, contact BCP to discuss.

The court heard how, on the night of 12th January 2020 in Poole Harbour, Mr. Whiffen was fishing from an unregistered, unlicenced fishing boat. When Mr. Whiffen was intercepted by Southern IFCA officers aboard the Fisheries Patrol Vessel he failed to stop to allow an inspection of his vessel and catch. Mr. Whiffen became abusive, hurling handfuls of shellfish at the enforcement officers as they repeatedly directed him to stop his vessel. Two of the enforcement officers sustained minor injuries during the incident.

In relation to the assault on the two officers, Mr. Whiffen was conditionally discharged for 12 months. For failing to comply with the directions of the Southern IFCA officers, Mr. Whiffen was fined £100, ordered to pay £50 towards costs and a victim surcharge of £34.

The consultation is aimed at supporting the development and appraisal of potential management options within the District’s pot fisheries, to include whelk, crab, lobster and cuttlefish.

The consultation will run for a period of 10 weeks from the  6 ^th November 2020 until the 15 ^th January 2021

Respond now using the online questionnaire:  https://forms.gle/obE3sLkBeUgkmSPr9

Please click here to visit our consultations page for more information  and other ways to respond. 

The Authority and MMO regularly share data to inform decision making and make the best use of evidence using freedom of information requests.  The data sharing agreement sets out how The Authority and MMO will more routinely share data with the MMO whilst ensuring the rights and freedoms of the data subjects.

The types of data being shared are contact details, fishing activity data and criminal activity data. 

The Authority has also implemented an updated data security policy to ensure that your data us used safely and in accordance with the law.  The data security policy can be found Data Security Policy

Andrew Wareing, Director of Digital and Analysis at MMO, reponsible for IFCA selection, said:

"These are exciting opportunities for people with experience and a passion for their inshore marine area to play a major part in shaping how their local area is managed. If you want to make a positive difference and help balance economic, social and environmental needs, we would be pleased to hear from you."

MMO invite applications from all industry sectors, however we would particularly welcome applicants from the recreational fishing and scientific sector.

The deadline for applications is 23:55 on Sunday 15th November 2020. Interviews will take place remotely on 25th November 2020. 

The role is on a voluntary basis although relevant expenses may be reimbursed. 

You can email ifcarecruitment@marinemanagement.org.uk or enquiries@southern-ifca.gov.uk for more information.

Background

There are 10 IFCAs around the English coastline and they are responsible for sustainably managing sea fisheries and conservation within 6 nautical miles from shore. They have the power to make byelaws to protect resources and the environment in their area as well as also enforcing national and European fisheries legislation.

IFCAs are either committees or joint committees of the local authorities that fall within an IFC district. They are tasked with sustainably managing inshore sea fisheries and conserving their local marine environment. They are made up of representatives from local councils along with people from across the different sectors that use or are knowledgeable about the inshore marine area, such as commercial and recreational fishermen, environmental groups and marine researchers, who offer their time voluntarily.

The Marine Management Organisation, Environment Agency and Natural England also each has a statutory seat on the IFCA. Through their local management and funding structures, IFCAs help put local councils, communities and businesses, and individual citizens in the driving seat, allowing them to play a bigger part in the protection and enhancement of their inshore marine environment. 

The MMO is responsible for appointing local people with relevant expertise to IFCA committees. Appointees make up roughly half of IFCA committees and are appointed on a voluntary basis. 

The members of the IFCA contribute their knowledge and expertise to provide sustainable management of the inshore marine area of their IFCA district. They guide the iFCA to deliver its mandate under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and in line with Defra guidance. 

We seek to achieve a balanced membership across various interest groups, including those with commercial, recreational and environmental interests. We are also keen to appoint people who represent the economic, social and environmental needs of their IFCA district and who, collectively, bring a variety of relevant interests such as fishing groups (commercial and non-commercial), conservation groups and other parties interested in the work of IFCAs.

Each appointment is made for a period of 3 to 5 years, with the possibility of reappointment up to a maximum of 10 years. It is conditional upon the member following terms and conditions (PDF, 210KB, 3 pages) for the appointment. Appointments are made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments and guidance issued by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (PDF, 232KB, 9 pages). Appointees must follow relevant IFCA codes of conduct as well as abiding by the terms and conditions of appointment.

1. Application Form (PDF)
2. Information for Candidates (January 2020)

More information on the work of the IFCAs is available from the Association of IFCAs website and from here on the Southern IFCA website. 

The court heard how, in the early hours of the 17 ^th October 2019, fisheries officers intercepted the Plymouth-based fishing vessel Top Dog, numbered PH5580 at the mouth of the River Itchen in Southampton Water. IFCA officers boarded the visiting fishing vessel, owned by Mr Dean Rollason, and located a number of undersized bass.   The master of the vessel at the time, Mr Shane Barton – a repeating offender, was interviewed under caution and then escorted to a slipway where he left the scene with the vessel in tow.

Following further searches of the area, IFCA officers located a substantial net, marked by a small surface float. The net was in excess of 750metres long, in 13 sections and ran along Weston shoreline, into the River Itchen. Officers immediately hauled the net and were able to return a total of 50 grey mullet, 30 bass, 10 flounder, 5 plaice, 20 dogfish and 5 smooth hounds to the water alive. Further fish were removed from the net, totaling a combined estimated value of £1340. Evidence was later gathered that linked the fishing vessel Top Dog with the unattended illegally-set net. 

Commenting on the case, Ian Jones, Chief Officer of Southern IFCA said, “Bass are a highly prized sea fish, valuable to the local recreational and commercial fishery. The Southampton Water Bass Nursery Area is an important refuge for juvenile fish and legislation is in place to protect stocks. Southern IFCA is committed to the protection of our fish stocks and coastal fisheries. Bass nursery areas legislation allow bass to grow and in turn replenish the seriously depleted stocks. It is very pleasing that this intervention resulted in a substantial quantity of bass, mullet and other species from the net returned to the water alive. The Authority takes the illegal use of nets very seriously. There is a legal net fishery in Southampton Water, however this case highlights the impact that an illegally set net can have on that legitimate fishery. The Authority is grateful for witnesses from the local fishing community and to Associated British Ports, Southampton, and to Dorset Police, who assisted with this prosecution.”

The District Judge ordered Mr Barton and Mr Rollason both of Plymouth, Devon, to pay fines and costs of £4,800 and ordered forfeiture of their fishing net, worth an estimated £1,900.

Further protection for bass has been introduced in recent years. Anyone fishing for bass is advised to check the bass fishing guidance and the local regulations for bass nursery areas.

Southern IFCA, the organisation responsible for management of inshore fisheries along the coast of Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight will be led by Ian Jones who joins the Authority with a wealth of fisheries management experience from both the UK and Australia.

Having previously served as Deputy Chief Officer and latterly as the National Lead Training Officer for the Association of IFCAs, Ian is very familiar with the task ahead and the complexities of managing fisheries and conservation issues.

Commenting on his appointment, "I am very excited about serving the coastal communities of Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight. The inshore waters of this coastline are some of the most diverse and important in the country and coastal fishing is a significant part of what makes this area special. I really look forward to working in partnership with the local fishing communities and balancing the needs of the different interests and delivering world class fisheries management in our seas."

Prof John Humphreys Chairman of the Authority said "Ian's appointment will build upon the significant progress we have made in improving coastal fisheries and delivering the conservation in our unique coastal areas. Ian has a strong background in community involvement and I, as well as the members of the Authority, look forward to working with him in his new role."

Minimum Conservation Reference Size Byelaw

The byelaw prevents the removal of fish and shellfish species below a certain size by all fishers to manage the sustainable exploitation of sea fisheries resources in the Southern IFC District.

Upon confirmation of this byelaw the Minimum Fish Sizes legacy byelaw, the Skates and Rays - Minimum Size legacy byelaw, the American Hard-shelled Clams - Minimum Size legacy byelaw and the Grey Mullet - Minimum Size legacy byelaw will be revoked.

A full text of the above-named Byelaw and Impact Assessment can be inspected at the links provided or obtained from Southern IFCA.

Any person wishing to object to the confirmation of the above-named byelaw must send a statement of objection in writing to:

Marine Conservation and Enforcement Team, Marine Management Organisation, Lancaster House, Hampshire Court, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE4 7YH (or IFCAbyelaws@marinemanagement.org.uk ) and must send a copy of this statement to the CEO at Southern IFCA, Unit 3, Holes Bay Park, Sterte Avenue West, Poole, Dorset BH15 2AA (or enquiries@southern-ifca.gov.uk ).
 
Objections must be received no later than the 24th July 2020 .

Please click here to view the Minimum Conservation Reference Size Byelaw Frequently Asked Questions Document

• enquiries@southern-ifca.gov.uk , or

• Southern IFCA, Unit 3 Holes Bay Park, Sterte Avenue West, Poole, BH15 2AA

The cover letter provides a concise summary of the proposed changes to the Management Plan.

The outcomes of the formal consultation will be presented to The Authority on the 11 ^th June 2020 in order to take account of any representations received in writing from any interested party on the Management Plan and any proposed changes to it.

Under the current Government restrictions (COVID-19), the consultation is being carried out remotely via advertisement on the Southern IFCA website, social media platforms and in addition via email distribution in order to capture any interested parties. Given the current Government restrictions, may I ask that you circulate the Management Plan and accompanying cover letter to any person(s) that you consider may be affected by the Management Plan or the changes contained within .

I thank you in advance for helping Southern IFCA to engage with all interested parties, as far and wide as possible during these unprecedented times.