As incursions on property, trespass, damage etc continue to trash the Wye SAC see below the response from the Wye Navigation Officer, Paul Senior and the reply to him by Don Macer wright.

With the continuation of the hot weather with river temperatures already recorded over 24degrees posing real problems to salmon stocks its been suggested that fishing is suspended for the time being.  Seems utterly sensible to me.   Does make you wonder though what the hell the EA, NRW and WUF, or even the new Wye Owners Association are for.
Wonder if Simon still want to sell the guys from Burton on Trent at ticket at Goodrich on Thursday or anywhere else for that matter.

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Don,

Sorry to hear you didn’t have a good Bank Holiday weekend down in Lydbrook last month and that I’ve taken a few days to respond to your latest on this topic.

I can’t add much to my previous exchanges with you on the subject of wild swimming. The legislation we work under, the Wye Navigation Order, only gives us powers to control vessels and none regarding all the other problems you appear to have been having.

The weekend in question was the start of the school half term holiday and also the May Bank holiday weekend. This is invariably one of the busiest times in the whole season with numerous events falling over the period on an annual basis up and down the Wye’s length.

The situation this year would have been exacerbated by the warm spell leading up to the start of the school holiday and probably explains the presence of the ‘wild swimmers’. You point out that the water temperature was high enough to render fishing futile anyway and I’m making an educated guess that the same warm river conditions made it more appealing to swimmers.

For most months of the year swimmers would not entertain the prospect of entering the water as it is too cold for river swimming, even with a wetsuit.

To put the size of the problem in context we’ve been carrying out survey work in recent years and never seen a ‘wild swimmer’ so though your recent experience may be regrettable it doesn’t form evidence of an exponential upsurge of this type of activity.

The legislation we work to is very much framed to enable us to manage navigation and not swimming.

Although we are NOT the regulator when it comes to swimming events we do liaise with prospective organisers as we are doing with those with an interest in the planned Lydbrook swim. Our role is therefore simply attempting to mediate in the hope that events can take place amicably.  

Regards Paul

Paul Senior

Wye Navigation Officer

email: paul.senior@environment-agency.gov.uk

Wye Navigation Officer

email: paul.senior@environment-agency.gov.uk

Dear Paul,

Please correct me if I am wrong but does the Wye Navigation Act not give the Navigation Authority the powers to implement any by-laws as deemed necessary.
 Our general feeling is that the EA should be publicly advising people not to swim in the rivers. Agricultural pollutions and overloading of phosphates are at all time highs.

However that is as you have made clear NOT a matter of concern for the Navigation Authority. SAFETY is however. Navigators should surely be barred from swimming, an activity which is a hazard to navigators - is it not?.

Over the weekend swimmers were in the prime fishery of Wyesham :- 

Your comments about survey work just demonstrates how out of touch the Navigation Authority is with what fishery owners and fishermen, who are all paying significant amounts (both owners and fishermen) to enjoy or make some livelihood out of legal property, which should not be constantly damaged by the general public who are effectively given carte blanche to do what they like when they like, because the powers that be clearly have no desire to limit public enjoyment and who seem quite happy to see the rights of owners trampled over.
YOUR COMMENT ABOUT CONDITIONS IS IRRELEVANT. THERE IS NO REASON WHY PRIVATE PROPERTY SHOULD BE SHARED WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IF PEOPLE WANT TO SWIM ONE GOES TO THE SWIMMING POOL OR THE SEA.

My regards

Don
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Simon,
update on water temp.

8pm main stem shallows above Lydbrook stream mouth 24.4 degrees.

Clearly these temperatures recorded today are very dangerous to salmonids.

It would be sensible to instruct an immediate closure of the Wye salmon fishery until temperatures fall to below 20 degrees for the two day advisory period. (As pointed out in the Canadian Advisory Report salmon are caught by anglers at elevated temperatures.)

Furthermore it would be a sensible precaution to lobby for a by law to close the commercial canoeing interests in line with the 20 degree advisories.
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Science Advisory Report 2012/019
http://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/346488.pdf

Final paragraph of report.
"Impacts of angling during warm water events were considered as the mortality rate from catch
and release angling increases sharply at temperatures above 20ºC. Other human activities can
displace fish and contribute to stress on Atlantic salmon during warm water events including
wading in streams, swimming in pools, boat traffic, as well as scientific activities."

Given the concerns for spawning success it is a nonsense not to have a closure protocol in place.

s