Environment Agency Wales on Monday welcomed the announcement by Carwyn Jones, the Welsh Rural Affairs Minister, that the Assembly Government is to provide an additional £ 2.4 million of Grant in Aid to support the Agency’s fisheries work in Wales.
This new money will fund work over the next three years to implement the recommendations of the government appointed Review Group’s report on Fisheries Policy and Legislation. Funds are earmarked for several priority areas, including conserving and restoring salmon stocks, restoring fish habitats, removing barriers to fish migration and developing and restoring community fisheries.
In its response to the recent review of fisheries legislation, the Assembly Government stressed the importance of high quality fisheries in attracting visiting anglers to Wales. It also recognised the need for substantial investment if Wales is to compete as a world-class fishing destination.The new money will also allow the Agency to undertake an Angling Participation Project aimed at encouraging newcomers, and especially young people, to the sport.
Dr Helen Phillips, the Agency’s Director Wales, said today: “This is a major investment in the special aquatic environments of Wales. We will work with our partner organisations and our key interest groups to get the maximum value from this investment. For example, through our Sustainable Fisheries Programme we are seeking to attract money from the Objective 1 scheme and achieve improvements to the environment and angling worth some £ 6 million over the three-year period. This work will help to support all of those employed within the angling and tourism industries in Wales, particularly in our rural communities. As an investment in the environment that supports and creates extra wealth and jobs, this is a real example of sustainable development”.
Pat O’Reilly, Chairman of the Agency’s Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Committee for Wales added: “This farsighted investment by our Assembly Government gives us a great opportunity not only to stem the decline in angling-related tourism but also to regain some of the 1,500 jobs lost over the past 20 years. For such an initiative to succeed, the starting point has got to be environmental improvements, and I am delighted that the Assembly Government has set challenging targets in this respect.”
