Dear All

1. Against the background of declining stocks of migratory salmonids, especially sewin, in Welsh rivers, particularly Afon Twyi, is any consideration being given to the termination or reduction of the currently permitted commercial exploitation of those species?
2. How, and how often, is the physical monitoring of licensed commercial exploitation undertaken by NRW staff?
3. Do staff undertaking monitoring have any vessels at their disposal to permit spot-checking of commercial activity?
4. What measures are taken to ensure the accuracy of catch returns submitted by licensed commercial operators?
5. How is the tagging system which commercial netsmen are required to comply with, supervised?
6. What numerical limitations are placed on the number of tags issued to any single commercial net operator and to the total number of tags issued to all commercial netsmen in any fishing season?
7. What monitoring of wholesale and retail fish suppliers in Wales and elsewhere is undertaken to ensure that all wild salmonids on sale claiming to be of Welsh origin have been obtained from legitimate sources.
8. What measures/systems/resources are available to NRA staff to ensure that there is no unlawful taking of salmonids in areas such as Carmarthen Bay by local vessels or vessels from other areas such as the south west of England or European ports under the guise of drift netting for bass.
9. What assurances can be given that salmonids illegally taken from Welsh waters are not landed in the south west of England or elsewhere where there is no requirement for carcasses to be tagged.
10. What monitoring of numbers of fish eating birds in Welsh rivers is undertaken by NRA staff and why is responsibility for this activity left to the fragmentary efforts of fishery owners?

Eifion Jones

Llangadog Angling Ltd