Sustainability Committee

Inquiry into access to inland water in Wales

My son and I are canoeists. We paddle on the beautiful rivers in the South Wales to exercise, enjoy the scenery and wildlife and spend time together. I am completely confused regarding my right to paddle and there is rarely signage, and where there is, it is often unclear on whose authority the directions are made. A "No Canoeing" sign nailed to a tree is not helpful and it is very hard to get unbiased guidance.

Fishermen are generally friendly but occasionally a few are aggressive, abusive and seem to think they have exclusive rights to 'their' river. I believe rivers are a natural resource and should be respected and enjoyed by all without fear of intimidation or worse and this must be protected by law.

I do not believe any individual or group should have a monopoly on any rivers except in exceptional circumstances. Rivers should be freely shared between all interested users and it seems other nations, most obviously Scotland, have found ways of achieving this. I would be happy to pay a licence fee to pay for the upkeep of the rivers and provide proper parking and access facilities.

yours sincerely,
Peter Bamford