Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:58 pm on 1 February 2017.
Cabinet Secretary, I thank you for the answer you’ve just given and the indication that you’re going to be announcing shortly the decision on the consultation. Obviously, when the Green Paper came out, there were deep concerns from anglers in relation to the impact it would have on fishing stocks and breeding times. And perhaps the question of ‘responsible’ access is the important word. I met with my local anglers’ society last Friday night, and they’re still concerned over this business of timings of access to ensure that when the fish are breeding, they’re not disturbed. Will you therefore ensure that the voluntary process that you’ve identified is perhaps the best way forward to ensure that there is a good relationship between the anglers and those who wish to use the rivers, so that all can get the benefit from the inland waterways?