What is an IFCA Member?
Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) Members play a vital role in helping manage and protect England’s inshore marine environment. Members contribute their knowledge, experience, and perspectives to ensure that local fisheries are managed sustainably and that marine ecosystems thrive for future generations.
What do IFCA Members actually do?
Members work collectively to:
- Develop and agree policies for the sustainable management of inshore fisheries and marine conservation.
- Consider scientific and local evidence to support balanced decision-making.
- Engage with local communities, industry, and partner organisations.
- Set and review byelaws and management measures.
- Monitor and evaluate the impact of IFCA activities.
Their role is strategic and it brings insight from their sectors while acting in the broader public interest.
What is the responsibility of an IFCA Member?
All Members share responsibility for the good governance and performance of their IFCA.
They must:
- Act objectively and in the public interest, not as advocates for a single sector.
- Uphold integrity, accountability, and transparency.
- Ensure decisions are evidence-based and consistent with statutory duties under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.
- Support effective communication between the IFCA and the communities or organisations they represent.
How much time and commitment does the role involve?
The role typically involves:
- Attending quarterly IFCA meetings and occasional sub-committee or working group meetings.
- Reading papers and preparing for discussions in advance.
- Taking part in local engagement, training, and occasional field visits.
The total time commitment varies between IFCAs but generally equates to around one to two days per month.
Is the role paid?
Most IFCA Members are unpaid (voluntary), although travel and subsistence expenses are usually reimbursed.
The value of the role lies in contributing to the responsible management of local marine resources — a lasting legacy for the environment and coastal communities.
Who can become an IFCA Member?
Members are appointed from a wide range of backgrounds, including:
- Commercial and recreational fisheries
- Marine conservation and environmental organisations
- Coastal communities
- Local authorities and agencies
- Academic, scientific, and technical sectors
Appointments are based on the skills and knowledge individuals can bring, not on representing an employer or interest group.
What are the benefits of being an IFCA Member?
Members gain:
- A deeper understanding of marine management and conservation policy.
- The opportunity to influence real-world outcomes in local waters.
- Professional networking with experts, stakeholders, and decision-makers.
- The satisfaction of contributing to sustainable fisheries and healthy seas.
What support or training is provided?
All new Members receive an induction and ongoing training to support their understanding of:
- IFCA duties and powers
- Governance and decision-making
- Marine science and fisheries management
- Public engagement and communication
This ensures Members can participate confidently and effectively.
Why are IFCA Members so important?
IFCA Members bring local insight, expertise, and balance to decision-making.
Their collective judgment helps ensure that fisheries and conservation measures are fair, proportionate, and effective — supporting both the environmental health of our seas and the economic wellbeing of coastal communities.
If an IFCA Member has a personal interest in a decision, are they still able to participate in the discussion?
The authority has a clear mandate to ensure public interests are met and decisions that are made balance commercial, recreational and environmental interests. Therefore, IFCA Members have a responsibility to act objectively and not in their own interest.
If a member of the IFCA has any pecuniary interests in a decision, this means that the member must not ordinarily participate in the decision. Such interests include employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.
IFCA members who have a personal interest in a matter that is deemed significant enough to affect a member’s judgement must declare this.
If an IFCA Member has a personal interest in a decision and is not able to ordinarily participate, how does the IFCA address this?
IFCA Members with these interests are able to speak to matters which affect them, but not participate in the debate, in the same way a member of the public can participate.
Members can provide guidance, through non-decision-making panels, on general issues relating the IFCA duties so as to ensure that the IFCA is aware of relevant issues.
Members can also apply for a dispensation.
When and how can a member apply for a dispensation?
In certain circumstances, an authority can grant a dispensation to permit a member to take part in the decision of the authority even if the member has a disclosable pecuniary interest relating to the decision. Please refer to the IFCAs standing orders for further guidance on this.