SC(3) - AIW167

Sustainability Committee

Inquiry into access to inland water in Wales

Dear Mr. Bates

Re. Access to Inland Waterways in Wales

I write representing my club The Midland Fly Fishers as their Salmon Committee Chairman. The Club was formed in 1935 and has owned nearly four miles of water on the Welsh Dee for fifty three years situated between Glyndyfrdwy and Lllangollen. It keeps the salmon fishing to it's members but allows day and season tickets to be sold locally for the trout and grayling fishing tolocals and visitors to N.Wales. The club also rents ,on a long lease ,a stretch of about 3 miles above Glasbury on the river Wye for game fishingwhere it also allows Coarse Fishing Clubs from S. Wales to fish by arrangement out of the salmon season.
As Vice Chairman of the Wesh Dee Fishery Association , a few years ago, I was deeply involved in talks with the Welsh Canoe Association in an effort to allow them restricted access by arrangement to canoe in an organized manner through our water and on down into Llangollen on defined days through the winter months. The negotition eventually foundered  particularly when their then chief excutive Richard Lee went abroad to pursue a new career. After that as time went on and despite further dialogue and talks brokered via the Environment Agency the attititude by WCA became very uncooperative and in fact became increasingly hostile and encouraged open trespass on the river on its website.
Thus the MFF Club decided that it would not allow any further access to any clubs until the WCA would come to the table and discuss it reasonably with all the relevant fishing clubs in the area.Despite great efforts by a few of the club executives in the Llangollen area negotiations have not progressed and the blame, regrettably , lies mainly with the WCA -now Canoe Wales-who now openly encourage all localised agreements to be cancelled and encourage people in canoes to practice what is open trespass  at all times of the year,
The situation has become increasingly unpleasant and when challenged by our members,many canoeists, but not all I may add, are extremely abusive and have no manners or respect for other people who have the legal right to be on that part of the river. If the open trespass continues and increases it will be become an ecological disaster as the threatened and dwindling stocks of salmon in both the Dee and Wye will be too disturbed by a constant cavalcade of canoeists going down over the shallow areas at the critical spawning stages for these fish.
You and your committee should also consider the policy statements of both the Environment Agency and the Countryside Council for Walesparticularly in relation to the Dee where they state that they are only agreeable to canoeing taking place at prearranged times with the riparian owners with clearly defined access and egress points and only when the water levels are above certain critical heights so as not to interfere with salmon and trout spawning. I have no doubt you are aware of the Wesh Dee been an SSSI and a SAC which clearly demonstrates the sensitive habitat issues at stake with canoe disturbance.
In conclusion I would state that the Midland Flyfishers are prepared ,together and in conjunction with other neighbouring clubs and riparian owners, to negotiate local agreements for access at predetermined times and river heights with a responsible and well organized body of local canoeists who are willing to negotiate reasonably with ourselves ,the Dee Fishery and Upper Dee Associations.
If this move fails and you are coerced into open access by the Canoe Unions we would fiercely oppose this through the law courts and would also be seeking a very substantial compensation for devaluing our fishery.

Yours Sincerely

Michael Stirk