Through gritted teeth I have to report that it seems there have so far been no further reports of salmon catches today. Hardly believeable given the current conditions.  When the 2sw May fish will arrive is anyones guess -perhaps on next weeks big tides but unless they arrive in considerable numbers we really do seem to be staring down the barrel at the moment.


For further bad news see below the DRAFT minutes of the recent Local Fisheries Group Meeting.
Reckon there are things in there you should all know about and much of it isn't good.  Will let you digest some of it before making any comments.   Don't have nightmares but don't believe all you read as fact either.

Just one point to note - WUF have been given Splash funding to try and sort out the canoeing between Glasbury and Hay.   Funny they have ignored the situation for years when they could have done something before it got to the state its in now.  Give em some cash however and they are all over it like a rash. Anyone taking any bets that they will sort it?

Note item 6.  There was no SNR update from Stuart Smith or apology for not attending.  Someone conveniently forgotten to invite him. Strange eh.

 Apologies were received from Steve Barker (NRW), Al Watson (EA), Stuart Smith (WSA) and Patrick Darling (WSFOA, Riparian Owner).

2. Minutes of last meeting and matters arising
 Accepted
3. Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru/Natural Resources Wales Update
Public Consultation on Hatcheries
 Apologies were given for the late confirmation of the meeting.
 A presentation on the hatchery review and consultation was given. This would be attached to the minutes. ACTION: PG/SJM (done)
 The review ends on the 27th May with the date for the decision in later summer.
 The group were reminded that NRW is a fact-based organisation. While opinions were welcomed and valued, decisions were made based on evidence.
 It was recommended that group members should download the more recent bibliography from the review.
 Also, it was worth viewing the website as other consultations that might be of interest were accessible from there.
 It was confirmed that all responses were welcome, including those from English addresses. All responses would be considered but not all would be replied to.
 A debate followed on review’s conclusion and the effectiveness of stocking with arguments on both sides.
 It was confirmed that Wye stock was complex and remained ‘at risk’ but that there was an upward trend. The job was certainly not done but scarce resources had to be used carefully. The most important thing for salmon conservation was to stop killing fish everywhere.
 The update on hatcheries was concluded with the view that wild populations should be left to manage themselves and that science shows that stocking presents a risk.
 It was observed that the Habitats Directive (which has been the subject of a review by Defra about 2 years ago, concluding that it was not suppressing economic development and is now the subject of a similar review by the EC) placed a requirement for precaution and that in order to proceed with stocking, it would have to be proven conclusively that it did no damage. It was also observed that the Directive had been the biggest driver for healthy rivers in the last 25 years. Some thought that it had not necessarily helped salmon though.
 Evidence from electrofishing surveys on the upper Wye and Irfon would be brought to the next meeting. ACTION: PG

Catchment Partnership Makeup
 It was reported that Defra had undertaken pilot schemes 3-4 years ago on a catchment based approach to management where 3rd sector organisations were given the lead for stakeholder engagement. This had been successful and it was therefore decided to roll it out over England.
 WUF had applied and been appointed to be the host on the Wye in England. NRW are the corresponding lead across Wales and were therefore involved with WUF on the Wye to make it a true catchment based approach both sides of the border.
 The idea was getting a wide sectorial involvement. There were to be a series of workshops, led by WUF.
Open Access
 The Green Paper was still to be published. Scope and timescales were unknown.
4. Environment Agency Update
Fisheries Management

 EA were currently in a statutory consultation for new limitation orders for Draft and Lave nets in the Severn Estuary. The proposal, which has been advertised for statutory consultation, is for reducing NLOs for Lave net licences from 29 to 15 and for Draft nets from 2 to 1 with further proposals to limit catches. It was important as a Habitats Directive assessment had concluded the need to reduce catches of salmon which are features of 3 Natura 2K (Wye, Usk and Severn estuary). Anyone wanting more details could contact Pete Gough.
 EA were regulating putchers through MCAA although there was an upcoming judicial review on their powers so to do.
 Notice had been served on 13 abstraction licence holders in the Lugg catchment. Another 13 had voluntarily agreed to licence changes.
 It was confirmed that current legislation did not allow the EA to control trickle irrigation.
 56 salmon had been counted through the Osbaston fish counter last winter along with 100s of trout.
Sewage Discharge/Diffuse Pollution
 The first F 2 parts of the Nutrient Management Plan had been completed. WS Atkins had done the work and suggested 4 different ways of achieving the correct levels of phosphates by 2027. A presentation on this would be given at the next meeting. ACTION: DB

Canoe Registration Update
 The registration scheme had been launched at the WyeNAC meeting a couple of weeks ago by MPs.
 Powys CC had agreed to take up the scheme and it was envisaged that all local hire companies would be licenced within 1-2 years. Companies outside the local counties would then be considered.
 The scheme was now being adopted by other parts of the country.
 It was reported that during the last rise in water levels, Hereford sewage works had been overflowing, leaving detritus on the banks and in the trees all the way down to the Carrots. If the EA were informed, a clear up could be arranged after this sort of event.
 It was confirmed that by 2020, all sewage works had to have an event log.
 Any plans for improving Kington sewage works would be investigated. ACTION: DB

5. Wye & Usk Foundation Update
 Redd counting on the Lugg and Arrow had been very promising this winter with an increase in number and a wider distribution to upstream of Kington. In 2006 electrofishing had shown no salmon above Monkland but now recorded salmon up to Downfield.
 The recent increases in rod catches were due to work completed in 2008/9. Since then, a lot more work had been completed.
 It was confirmed that recaptures were accounted for in salmon stock calculations.
 Any evidence of recaptures would be helpful for these calculations – send to PG.
 The EFF project was funding improvement of habitat, fish passes and tackling farm pollution in both rivers.
 Work with Welsh Water, NRW, EA and Canal & Rivers Trust to find a better abstraction regime was coming to an end with a solution that would be more fish-friendly. NRW were due to comment on the work in April.
 The WHIP project was continuing work to reduce farm pollution in Herefordshire.
 Keeping Rivers Cool was working to provide tree cover on 8.66km of the Arrow.
 Splash funding had been obtained to help sort out canoeing in the Glasbury to Hay section.
 CABA was pulling together diverse groups that affect the catchment.
 The MOAT project, funded mainly by Welsh Water, was working in the Trothy and Olway catchments.
 The weeds project was continuing to tackle Giant hogweed and starting to concentrate more on Japanese knotweed.
 26 staff were now on the WUF payroll.
 In the last 6 months NRW had visited 40 landowners in the Trothy and served 4 notices with 1 prosecution and 1 formal caution. They were also hoping to put out 12 sampling sensors in the area.
 NRW were also conducting pollution prevention visits around Llangorse Lake, now an NVZ.

6. Wye Salmon Association Update
 Apologies had been received from Stuart Smith and no update was given.
7. Environmental Crime Team Update
 The elver run had been huge, resulting in a collapse in prices.
 In its first year, NRW caught 139 illegal anglers committing various offences.
 A private case had been taken successfully by an owner on the Usk against 2 poachers under the Theft Act. It was disappointing that this had not been publicised more widely. If a report of illegal fishing was made to the police in England they were obliged to act upon it.
8. Predation (listed as Item 9 on the agenda)
 The quotas of 6 cormorants and 6 goosanders had been reached on the Hay to Chepstow and Lugg & Arrow sections. On the upper Wye a licence had arrived late allowing 17 birds to be shot in only 2 weeks.
 The Angling Trust had secured some commitment from Defra to increase numbers of birds on licences.
 It was pointed out that FEB licences were granted without any consideration of the status of their prey.

9. Water Retention on Farmland, Flood Prevention (listed as Item 10 on the agenda)
 Only in some parts of the Severn catchment was there local interest in dredging.
 The Inland Drainage Boards were still active. The Welsh boards had been brought into NRW.
 The ISAC project had shown how effective blocking forestry drains was in retaining water and Montgomery Wildlife Trust and RSPB were conducting similar projects.
 It was argued that councils were hindering farmers from creating more winter storage ponds.
 There was confidence that much would be done with regards upland water storage in the next few years.

10. AOB
 Some examples of NRW Board papers had been brought to the meeting. The links to where these papers were held would be provided. ACTION: PG
 It is noted that Hafren Power’s Chief Executive had resigned and formed another company.
 Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay plc has submitted a plan in for a tidal lagoon renewable energy scheme in Swansea Bay. The plan is available to view on the Planning Inspectorate website for a 6-month review period.
 4 more lagoon plans had been proposed for the Severn Estuary.
 An attempt would be made to get someone to talk to the group about hydropower. ACTION: PG
 The EA had changed in April - regional offices no longer existed leaving just head and area offices. This should not affect operations.
11. Date of Next Meeting
 Date, time and location TBC