SALMON EXTINCTION IN WALES AND THE RIVER WYE
Angling organisation takes recovery plans to Environment Minister
With the extinction of Atlantic Salmon throughout Wales and the River Wye now almost certain, the organisation seeking to prevent this has abandoned any hope that the Welsh Government will find a solution and has taken its case directly to the new environment minister in London.
“The devastating situation has been on the cards for years yet Natural Resources Wales – the Welsh Government agency responsible for salmon – offers no new or positive solutions and simply wants to spend more money on research and the same old failed solutions. Soon there won’t be any salmon to research,” says Stuart Smith, chairman of the Wye Salmon Association.
“At the last Wye Local Fisheries Group and the Wales Fisheries Forum, chaired by NRW’s deputy chairman, we heard nothing that will have a positive impact, in the near future, or any updates on “future proofing” the genetic integrity of Wye Salmon or other salmon in Wales.
“NRW will continue to twiddle its thumbs but, with extinction now a reality, it is time for urgent action. We are appealing directly to Steve Barclay, the new environment minister, to take immediate action to protect salmon. We commissioned an independent report that provided potentially radical solutions two years ago. It still sits in some dusty in-tray in NRW’s Cardiff headquarters. We have sent a copy to the secretary of state with a request for an urgent meeting to agree an action plan to save the salmon,” says Stuart.
The key points of WSA’s report entitled ‘Protecting the genetic diversity of Atlantic Salmon in Wales, an insurance policy against continued stock declines, are:
- For selected populations (Wye, Usk, Tywi, Teifi), gene banking of cryopreserved salmon sperm should be instigated immediately. This is relatively cheap to achieve and will ensure long term storage of diversity;
- Live gene banks should be considered for the most threatened/valuable populations. Again, this is relatively low cost, will preserve valuable diversity and allow immediate instigation of a recovery programme when it is deemed necessary;
- A kelt catch up and re-conditioning programme should be trialled aimed at increasing spawner abundance;
- Plans should be urgently drawn up for selected rivers, including the Wye, detailing the re-introduction strategy using a captive breeding programme based on l2222ocal requirements.
“Population levels must be closely monitored to decide when a re-introduction programme should commence. Given the seriousness of the situation, at the very least NRW should declare at what point in the stock decline the re-introduction programme should commence. We believe this tipping point has already been reached.
“We are in the Last Chance Saloon for salmon and now our only hope is Mr Barclay. The Welsh Government simply do not take the situation seriously and seem happy for salmon to die out throughout Wales and the River Wye,” he adds.
