Help The Recovery of the Wye Salmon
Contact the author of the petition
Save Our Salmon
2015-06-02 08:34:17Save our Salmon In May Trout & Salmon launched Save Our Salmon – a campaign that seeks to highlight the plight of the wild Atlantic salmon and raise funds to return the species to abundance. Last month they invited interested parties to pitch ideas that they believe would help reach that goal. They have received many proposals for funds, the best eight of which are published on their website. WSA believes all the pitches are deserving. However of particular interest to us is Pitch 1, submitted by the organisation ‘Campaign for the Protection of Welsh Fisheries [CPWF]’. They seek funding ‘to appoint an independent scientist to assess evidence used by Natural Resources Wales to justify its decision to close hatcheries’. If they are successful in their bid for funding the outcome should be a clear and measured statement that the quoted documents do not provide such proof. Allowing CPWF and WSA to move forward in our attempts to overturn the NRW decision. We ask you to go to the campaign site at; http://www.saveoursalmon.org/ and vote for Pitch 1 by completing the form on the 'vote now' page.
peter chilton
More Updates
2015-04-22 18:46:55Little progress has been made with NRW in respect to them reviewing their decision to close hatcheries. Indeed, it now seems likely the Environment Agency, responsible for rivers in England, will make a similar ruling shortly.
In light of this, we have decided to publicise an internal document [see link below] produced by Environment Agency Wales the predecessor of NRW, which strongly supported the need for hatcheries. The advice laid out in this document, contradicts NRW’s current position on hatcheries. However, it was produced by the same scientific officer, on whose advice, NRW based its decision to ban hatcheries.
Our interpretation of this memo is, the recent decision by the NRW Board to ban hatcheries was not based on science rather, it was political and economic. This memo is evidence NRW have simply interpreted the science to support their own political objectives.
We therefore urge you to write to Prof. Peter Matthews Chairman of the NRW Board and request he explain why such contradictory advice was produced by the same scientific officer and, whether this earlier advice was also brought to the attention of and, considered by the NRW Board.
The Chairman of the NRW Board can be contacted at:
Natural Resources Wales
Ty Cambria
29 Newport Rd
Cardiff
CF24 0TP
We do please urge you to write and challenge this political interference in our river.
peter chilton
Help the Recovery of the Wye Salmon
2015-04-03 14:49:55Our letter to NRW, copied to their Chairman & CEO along with Head of Inland Fisheries at WAG seems to have had desired effect and on 23rd March we received a formal response to our stocking proposal and questions we raised when we met on 15th Jan. This can be seen at:
In summary a rejection of our proposal!
Dissatisfied with, and still not fully understanding the logic and evidence base behind their position we have prepared a series of questions and points of issue. These can be seen at:
We are not prepared to accept this situation and are now planning and pursuing a number of alternative tactics, these we will communicate the results of with you shortly.
peter chilton
Meeting with EA
2015-03-11 16:12:38‘We met with representatives of EA [Midlands] Fisheries Division on 25th February in Hereford to present our proposals and explore opportunities to continue stocking in English area of Wye catchment. A useful meeting with lots of information provided by EA staff but non committal on their support for or approval of our proposals. The key issue appeared to be the ability to deliver a plan that met their genetic protocol and as a result the relevant parameters of the Habitat Directive. We were advised to expect EA to carry out a review their position on stocking sometime soon! The meeting concluded with an agreement for EA to supply a copy of the relevant protocols allowing a submission by us of an outline plan of our proposals for their consideration. We are now in the process of preparing a draft of this, expected to be complete by mid March. Subsequent to the meeting we were informed EA were indeed carrying out a review of their stocking policy due to be published in a few months.
We still await a formal response to our submission to NRW. A brief telecon has informed us they do not anticipate changing their decision. However we have now formally written to Prof. Peter Matthews [Chairman of NRW Board] and Dr. Emyr Roberts [CEO of NRW] advising them of the situation and whilst awaiting their response have been informed to expect a considered response next week [we 20-March]’
peter chilton
News Update
2015-02-14 13:04:11It is now a month since our meeting with NRW and we still await a response to our submission and questions. We have pursued these but still have no firm dates. This seems inconsistent with their [NRW] own Customer Care and Service Standard. We will continue to seek a reply. In the mean time we have arranged a meeting with EA [Midlands]for 25th Feb to discuss our proposal and explore opportunities on the Wye in England. We are also reviewing what other opportunities exist to overturn this, in our opinion, flawed decision. We will keep you informed.
peter chilton
Help The Recovery of the Wye Salmon
2015-01-18 11:08:37Just to make you, our supporters aware that a group of representatives from WSA met with NRW in Cardiff on Thursday 15th. The ensuing discussions involved our analysis of the very serious mismatch between their scientific evidence and the decision to cease stocking. We further presented the NRW representatives with an outline of our proposals for reviving Wye salmon fisheries. We would like to thank you all for your support, it was extremely valuable in these discussions to be able to express the strength of that support as demonstrated in your response to our petition. We now await NRW responses before we decide on a further plan of action. We will continue to inform you and update you on these activities.
peter chilton