News

Concerns over salmon fishing ban dismissed

Published

10 years ago

December 16, 2016

A SENIOR member of the Teifi Trout Association (TTA) has raised concerns over ‘restrictions’ that he fears may be put in place by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) regarding salmon fishing in the River Teifi and throughout Wales.

Secretary of the TTA Gwyn Morris has said that NRW is looking to introduce a ban on salmon fishing and introduce restrictions on fishing methods such as bait fishing.

The TTA currently has around 200 members and owns a n approximate 20 mile stretch of water in the Teifi. The fishing strip has received considerable investment in its time, some of which has been sourced through grant funding.

In the late 1980s, Gwyn said that the TTA had initially purchased a strip (which spanned several miles), in part, by using funds that involved a £50k grant from Ceredigion Council. The area also received National Lottery funding for several disabled platforms which can be found along the river.

Gwyn said: “They [NRW] can’t tell us when this ban is coming in. They’re trying to fetch this legislation in, but they’ve got to go through Welsh Government. We’re opposing it being passed if we can.”

Gwyn also raised concerns about the TTA’s disabled members, most of whom rely on bait fishing, something Gwyn expects to be banned.

He said: “With our members now, most of them are getting older, you’ve got more disabled every year, and that’s what we have to try and hit them with now, they’re depriving the disabled.”

With reference to statistical evidence he had received at a meeting at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Gwyn also argued that there had been a 23% increase in salmon numbers in the Teifi.

Having spoken to Gwyn, the Herald contacted the NRW where we got through to Principal Communications Officer, Martyn Gough. While Martyn acknowledged that numbers of adult salmon may well have increased (he could not confirm this either way), he did point out that NRW was currently more concerned with salmon fry numbers which have been declining across the country.

Martyn said: “We’re still very much at the stage where we are investigating the reason for this decline in the numbers and we will take steps eventually, but what they are we don’t know at the moment.”

Martyn went on to dismiss claims of a potential ban, adding: “It’s a problem that we need to address but it is something that we’re still investigating and because of that, we haven’t made any decisions on restrictions or any sort of ban that may or may not take place; that’s a discussion for once we’ve collated all the evidence.

“As you can image, there’s an awful lot of rumours and gossip around the situation. At the moment, there is nothing of that nature in the pipeline.”

When discussing the cause of decreasing salmon fry numbers, Martyn was quick to dismiss over-fishing as a major cause, and instead pointed to something else. He said: “We think that it may be related to last years wet and warm winter, we don’t think this is a case of overfishing. The evidence, and again we’re still investigating this, but the evidence points to something to do with climate change. “

The only scheme that NRW currently promotes is a voluntary catch and release scheme.

News

Three kayakers rescued after getting into difficulty near Skomer

Published

34 minutes ago

July 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Coastguard teams and two RNLI lifeboats were called after the group was pushed south while attempting to pass through Jack Sound

THREE kayakers were rescued after getting into difficulty while returning from Skomer Island through Jack Sound.

Watchkeepers at NCI Wooltack Point had been monitoring the group as they attempted to make the crossing, but the kayakers were pushed south and eventually disappeared from view from the station.

One watchkeeper continued searching from the lookout while another went outside to try to locate them. The kayakers were eventually spotted from the cliff-top path in a nearby bay, where it was confirmed that they required assistance.

HM Coastguard was alerted and both Angle RNLI lifeboat and Little and Broad Haven RNLI lifeboat were tasked to the incident.

The rescue was successfully completed, with NCI Wooltack Point praising the teamwork between Pembrokeshire’s search and rescue agencies.

The kayakers later made a donation to the station in recognition of the assistance they had received.

Photo: NCI Wooltack Point watchkeeper Charles

Community

Temporary traffic lights planned during Pembroke gas works

Published

1 hour ago

July 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Motorists are being advised to allow extra time as essential gas network upgrades begin on Bush Road

TEMPORARY traffic lights will be introduced in Pembroke while engineers carry out work to upgrade underground gas pipes.

Wales & West Utilities will begin work in the Bush Hill area on Monday, July 20, with the scheme expected to continue until Friday, August 21.

Temporary traffic lights will operate on Bush Road between the junctions with Buttermilk Lane and Whitehall Avenue. The lights will be manually controlled to help keep traffic moving and reduce congestion.

The utility company said the work had been agreed with Pembrokeshire County Council and scheduled during the school holidays to minimise disruption.

Motorists are being advised to allow additional time for their journeys while the restrictions are in place.

Adam Smith, who is managing the project for Wales & West Utilities, said: “We have planned this section of work to coincide with the school holidays to minimise disruption to motorists and the local community.

“We understand our work can cause disruption, but it is essential to maintain a resilient gas network that households and businesses can rely on every day.

“While much of the gas network is out of sight, it plays a vital role in daily life, from heating homes to cooking meals, and we know how important it is that gas is there when people need it.”

Wales & West Utilities transports gas to more than 7.5 million people across Wales and the south west of England through a network of more than 35,000 kilometres of underground pipes.

Anyone who smells gas or suspects carbon monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999.

Community

Tenby Freemasons donate £750 to surf lifesaving club

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Funding will help volunteers purchase distinctive uniforms for patrols at Tenby South Beach

TENBY Freemasons have donated £750 to Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club to support its volunteer beach patrols and lifesaving work.

Members of Tenby Lodge presented the donation to the club, also known as Surflink, following a training session last week.

The club is introducing volunteer lifesaving patrols at Tenby South Beach on busy days when lifeguards are not on duty, helping to complement the work of the RNLI.

Volunteers require distinctive patrol uniforms so they can be easily recognised by members of the public on the beach.

Senior lodge member Tony Upham put forward a proposal to Tenby Lodge’s committee, which quickly agreed to provide the money needed to purchase the uniforms.

Surf club leader Tai Jackson said: “Lifeguard services have reduced in recent times, so we were keen to offer our skills.

“We are grateful once again for the assistance from the Freemasons in purchasing the essential kit required.”

Tenby Lodge charity steward Steve Thurgood said: “We are committed to supporting local good causes, so we are delighted to make these funds available to Surflink.

“The club provides an excellent voluntary service to the community, particularly to young people.”

Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club has taught the multi-disciplined sport of lifesaving since 1993, educating participants aged eight and above in surf safety, open-water skills and swimming confidence.

Weekly summer training sessions are held at the club’s facility at South Beach Car Park in Tenby. During the winter, the club runs weekly pool sessions at Tenby Leisure Centre, helping members develop the core swimming skills needed for beach training.

Through its links with the RNLI, the club also provides training and assessments for those hoping to become beach lifeguards, first aiders or sports coaches.

Its volunteers provide lifesaving cover for a number of major local events, including Ironman Wales, Long Course Weekend, the Saundersfoot New Year’s Day Swim and Tenby North Beach Boxing Day Swim.

The club’s stated aim is to save lives and prevent drowning through surf lifesaving education and training within the local community.

Anyone interested in joining Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club can email [email protected].

Pictured: Tenby Lodge Master Damian Brown presents the £750 donation to Tai Jackson. Also pictured at the rear are Steve Thurgood, left, and Tony Upham, right, with young members of Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club.