New byelaw restricting trawling off Northumberland coast backed by fisheries chiefs

Updated byelaws in relation to trawling and dredging have been under discussion for some time, with a delay for further consideration agreed as far back as January 2019.

However, at the first quarterly meeting of Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) to be held remotely, on Monday, July 27, members voted unanimously to confirm the making of the new byelaw on trawling.

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Despite this backing, a statutory consultation must now take place, which it is hoped will be completed and dealt with by the end of September or early October, before the final decision then falls to the Government.

NIFCA’s chief executive Mike Hardy said that he hopes it is brought into law ‘some time in 2021’.

The new byelaw prohibits trawling within the district, from the River Tyne to the Scottish Border and six nautical miles out to sea, unless using a single trawl.

Depending on the size, vessels can apply for permits to allow fishing in either the inner (up to three nautical miles out to sea) or outer (three to six miles out) areas. A permit is currently only required in the inner area.

Boats under 12 metres in length will be able to apply for a permit for either area, while those up to 18.3 metres can apply for the outer area only.

Permit holders will have to provide information on catches and areas fished to NIFCA at the end of each month.

The byelaw also prohibits the use of mobile fishing gear in the Coquet to St Mary’s Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), except within a specified area and using specified gear in accordance with an exemption from the authority.

This zone, to protect species and habitat on the seabed, covers 192 km² of intertidal and offshore waters from Whitley Bay up to Alnmouth, including areas around St Mary’s Island and Coquet Island.

An amendment to NIFCA’s dredging byelaw – with a prohibition on all dredging in the MCZ or the entire district previously up for discussion – is set to be brought to the next quarterly meeting in October.

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