North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority
North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NEIFCA) was established on 1 April 2011 replacing North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee (NESFC) by constitution under provisions contained within the 2009 Marine and Coastal Access Act.
History of NESFC
NEIFCA’s predecessor organisation, North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee was established by an order of the Board of Trade on 9 July 1890 to manage and conserve fisheries resources between the River Tyne and the Humber Estuary. It was a Joint Committee of 11 coastal Local Authorities, led by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
In the early years of the Committee, one singular Chief Fishery Officer undertook all the fisheries enforcement and compliance work from his home address, covering the entire District by rail. At that time, the fishing industry was much larger and in 1893 comprised over 1840 vessels, providing employment for 10,273 men compared to just 240 licensed vessels and 500 men in 2010.
On the day of its inception NEIFCA inherited twenty one fisheries byelaw regulations from NESFC covering a wide range of stocks and fishing methods. All these legacy regulations are currently subject to review by the Authority.
