SC(3) - AIW34

Sustainability Committee

Inquiry into access to inland water in Wales

We are recreational users of the Welsh inland rivers which provide some of the finest canoeing and kayaking in the Europe.

We are 180 members of Meridian Canoe Club from SE London and N Kent.

Every winter we paddle the rivers, Usk , Wye, Treweryn, Dee, Conway, Ogwen, and Teifi, amongst others.

The Wye has a right of navigation , all the others are much less clear.

The legal position for paddlers is still somewhat unclear. Last winter after many years of trying to obtain voluntary access agreements the Welsh Canoe Association decided to recommend to its members that as long as they paddled the rivers when they were at sensible levels (as defined by marks on water gauges) and used recognised get on/get off points then paddlers were free to use the Welsh rivers over the winter season. This has proven to be a great improvement from paddlers, but we still face stiff opposition from anglers who are now resorting to methods ranging from verbal abuse to puncturing tyres of cars parked by paddlers.

It would be nice of this position could be legally enforced as we still receive aggravation from anglers, gamekeepers etc who totally believe they have a legal right to exclude us totally.

You would do well to investigate (and hopefully follow) the example of Norway where there is both a right to roam and a right to use all inland rivers.

The Voluntary arrangements for use of certain stretches of river were never good, mainly due to the intransigence of the angling community who do not wish to permit any water users other than their own members. The use of the River Dee from Corwen to Llangollen is an example of this. Paddlers were permitted very limited access on a handful of winter days , the fishermen then decided that even this was too many and they "banned” all paddlers from accessing this stretch of water.

The angling community continues to stall any discussions because they want no other water users to access "their” stretches of water, and therefore no amount of negotiation will shift them.

The only method is for paddlers to take matters into their own hands, or to appeal to higher authorities to allow a combination of users to be permitted at all sensible times to co-operate and for all to obtain enjoyment from this resource.

As above voluntary arrangements have been shown not to work, access for all needs legal backing.

Andy Garlick
Meridian Canoe Club