SC(3) - AIW24

Sustainability Committee

Inquiry into access to inland water in Wales

What is your interest in the issue of access to inland waterways?

I am the chairman of the Seiont, Gwyrfai and Llyfni Anglers’ Society. We are a fishing club based in Caernarfon and surrounding area in Gwynedd. The club has been in existence for 100 years. Our aim is to offer fishing to anglers, both local and visitors, at a reasonable price. The vast majority of our members are locals, who pay an annual membership subscription which entitles them to fish, and we also sell many day and week tickets to visitors in the summer and autumn.

We offer fishing on the three rivers suggested in our title as well as on several lakes in Gwynedd. We rent some fishing rights and land but we are also legal owners of the banks and bed of the rivers and adjoining land of extensive stretches of the rivers named above. Our interest in the issue of access is therefore as anglers, but also as landowners, although I wish to stress that we are not a privileged estate wishing to keep everyone off our land, but rather the opposite-a club with an entirely open membership, run for decades by volunteers striving to keep local fishing in local hands and available to local anglers, and supported for decades by these same anglers putting their hands in their pockets and paying subscription fees. This club structure, run by local members, is a particular feature of angling in Wales and is different to the situation in other areas, particularly Scotland .

As anglers we are also committed to conservation and many of us are active e.g. on Environment Agency committees and have brought pollution and wildlife issues to light over the years.

Legal rights

Our legal rights are clear and well defined. The land we own is private and except where there are public footpaths unauthorised access is trespass. If someone wishes to launch a canoe or kayak on our waters form our land we are entitled to stop them doing so and ask them to leave. On land and waters that we rent we have the same right, as representatives of the owner. Where we rent fishing rights only we still feel we have the right to ask unauthorised canoes and kayaks to leave as they are impairing our right to enjoy our legally held fishing rights.

Outside the fishing season there are times when the water conditions are attractive for canoeing and kayaking and when these activities would not disturb our angling. It would seem that agreements between the canoeists and the owners of the waters as to when canoeing could take place  is the obvious way forward to allow shared use of the waters. I do think, however that it needs to be acknowledged that the waters are owned by someone and that granting access to them would also demand responsibility on the part of those using the waters. To suggest that rivers are a free natural resource which should be available to all as and when they wish is a rather romantic and unrealistic view of how the British countryside should be managed and in the past such views have frequently caused friction between landowners, farmers and residents in rural areas and those who wish to enjoy our natural resources. For example- I often see attractive looking rivers and might consider fishing them but would not dream of doing so without first asking locally regarding ownership and availability of angling, buying an appropriate permit and following the rules on angling methods and seasons. If angling was not available, for example, to visitors, then I would accept this and look elsewhere.

Likewise, if a canoeing club owned a stretch of water, I feel they would be free to launch canoes and kayaks on it as they wished. If angling was offered on their water I would follow whatever arrangements they had in place if I wished to fish there.

If access is to be increased by voluntary agreement then there would also need to be arrangements for recognising individuals and also some form of sanction available against people using the rivers outside the agreed periods if this caused friction with the owners.

Scotland

I am well aware that in Scotland there is more open access for canoes and kayaks. Scotland is a larger country than Wales, with lower population density and many of the rivers are also far larger than the majority of welsh rivers. I have fished in Scotland and had canoes coming through the pools in which I have paid to fish. Amongst Scottish anglers there is considerable anger and resentment at the disturbance caused to fishing by canoes since the laws were changed. I do not think the Scottish arrangements would solve the problem of access in Wales. In North West Wales the rivers are generally smaller and short and few are beyond two hours motoring from the major conurbations of the Northwest of England and the midlands. Unlimited access to these waters could mean large numbers of canoes and kayaks endlessly disturbing the fishing of those who legally own either the waters or fishing rights or both, with no way of controlling the activity. I feel strongly that Welsh rivers can only be managed if the details of access are agreed between the owners and those wishing to use the waters.

We have no experience of voluntary agreements on the waters we manage, particularly as the WCA/Canoe Wales do not wish to enter into agreements. We frequently send canoeists off our waters during the fishing season.

I am aware that there is a recently drawn up arrangement on the Afon Glaslyn on National trust land- but I am also aware that WCA/Canoe Wales have not agreed to this because of the above policy and the arrangement is unilateral.

The key issues for recreational access to inland water in Wales

Canoes and kayaks disrupt angling. I am aware that there is often quoted evidence that these activities do not reduce fish stocks but they do disrupt angling. In our relatively small and often clear water rivers canoes passing through scare fish and render fishing pointless for some hours. Canoes running a length of river will have this effect all along the stretches they travel. Further groups following behind will cause the same disturbance again and again.

Unrestricted access would severely impair legally enjoyed angling. It is likely that it would lead to fewer people fishing with clubs across Wales seeing reduced membership. Expensive fishing rights and property assets would be devalued overnight and many historic angling clubs would fold within a season of unrestricted access being granted. Likewise angling visitors would be unlikely to arrange fishing that might potentially be ruined by unrestricted canoes and kayaks. Angling tourism would suffer.

A separate issue is that of spawning salmon and seatrout and the disturbance of these fish, as well as the damage done to gravel beds containing spawn by canoes, paddles and wading during low water in winter. Such disturbance is an offence, and unrestricted canoe and kayak activity at sensitive sites and levels would need to be policed by the Environment agency.

In summary:

Angling has long been enjoyed in Wales and the country is home to some of the most famous angling clubs in the United Kingdom.

Unrestricted access to Welsh rivers for canoes and kayaks would severely disrupt the enjoyment of these traditional countryside activities and I feel that if the WAG were to legislate for free access they would be guilty of trampling on the legitimate sporting and property rights of thousands of welsh residents to please a number of people based outside Wales.

For privately owned water and land, whether owned by cubs or individuals, voluntary access agreements are the only appropriate way of allowing shared use of these waters.

Dr Robin Parry
Chairman, Seiont, Gwyrfai and Llyfni Anglers’ Society