3. How is the Welsh Government supporting the development of the fishing sector? OQ58449

Thank you. We are developing the fishing sector in a variety of ways, including the introduction of a financial assistance scheme. I laid a statutory instrument yesterday to establish this. We provide ongoing support for the development of new markets, both domestic and internationally, and are committed to implementing the joint fisheries statement.

Thank you for that, Minister. That's reassuring. The fishing and angling sector is an important part of the economy in rural Wales. River fishing alone contributes around £20 million a year to the economy, and supports around 700 jobs. On top of that, the additional tourism that our waters pull in provides benefit for local areas.

Fishing is also a popular hobby for many people, getting them outdoors and providing opportunities for socialising. But the sector is under real pressure, such as the recent fishing ban across Wales due to the drought—that's put immense pressure on them. Now, whilst there have been some welcome initiatives to promote the Welsh fishing sector, such as the Fishing in Wales website, former world champion angler Hywel Morgan has recently suggested that there is scope to do more to attract fishers from across the world—for example, using the game fairs and other set-piece shows to grow the sport to new audiences. Minister, how are you working with your Cabinet colleagues to ensure that the fishing and angling sector is front and centre of the Government's strategy to boost tourism and develop the rural economy? And what support are you providing businesses to promote sustainable tourism within the sector to help improve local environments, whilst also growing the angling business? And I'm conscious of your first answer.

Thank you. You're quite right, it's a very popular hobby for many people, and one of the things that we're doing to support it is obviously trying to improve the quality of our rivers, going forward. As you know, Natural Resources Wales do have a duty to maintain, to improve and develop inland and migratory fisheries. So, obviously, we support Natural Resources Wales, and the Minister for Climate Change, obviously, is responsible for NRW. I don't recall having any specific discussions with the Minister responsible for tourism in relation to this area, but I think, from my portfolio point of view, we need to ensure that, the decline that we have seen with some iconic species, we reverse as quickly as possible.