Anglers in pay to paddle row with canoeists.Byline: DAVID David, in the Bible David, d. c.970 B.C., king of ancient Israel (c.1010–970 B.C.), successor of Saul. The Book of First Samuel introduces him as the youngest of eight sons who is anointed king by Samuel to replace Saul, who had been deemed a failure. POWELL A SPAT between anglers and canoeists has seen Assembly members go on the road to hear views on public access to waterways. The Welsh Salmon and Trout Anglers Association, which has 70 clubs, says problems have worsened over the last five years and wants canoeists to pay to use rivers. Canoeists believe they should be able to use waterways free of charge where appropriate. The row comes after Assembly Members conducting the National Assembly's inland waterways inquiry met the public in Betws y Coed and Wrexham on Friday. Welsh Salmon and Trout Anglers Association co-secretary Moc Morgan attended the meeting at the Gwydyr Hotel, Betws y Coed with 30 members of the public. He said later: "We are adamant that the only answer is for canoeists and anglers to get together. We expect the canoeists to pay - as we pay - for the use of rivers." He said anglers pay for fishing rights, rod licences, stocking rivers, fencing and even grass cutting. The picture is muddied because landowners own riverbanks and riverbeds but not the water. He said anglers turned up to the inquiry from as far as Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, Pen y Groes, Trawsfynydd and Anglesey. They gave video evidence about their views to the AMs. Mr Morgan's wife Julia, also a WSTAA co-secretary, said anglers often own parts of rivers which canoeists use. She said canoeists also churn up Verb 1. churn up - cause aversion in; offend the moral sense of; "The pornographic pictures sickened us" sicken, disgust, nauseate, revolt repel, repulse - be repellent to; cause aversion in water ruining fishing. She added: "Canoeists want free, unfettered access to rivers 365 days a year. But we want the Assembly to realise that angling clubs often own or rent rivers. "The problems have got worse over the past five years. Sewin Sew´in n. 1. (Zool.) Same as Sewen. , for example, are shy fish. Nobody wants to disturb them until a certain time of day. Canoeists go through and that's it." She said daytrippers even use rafts on the River Teifi The River Teifi (Welsh: Afon Teifi) is a river in West Wales flowing into the sea below Cardigan town. The catchment of the river is estimated to be 1,008 square kilometres yielding an average flow at Glan Teifi of 31.026 m³/s. in west Wales West Wales is the western area of Wales bordered by South Wales to the east. The area is loosely-defined, but is generally considered to include Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, southern areas of Ceredigion, and sometimes the city of Swansea, . . Sustainability Committee member Brynle Williams Brynle Williams born in Cilcain, North Wales, in 1949, is a member of the National Assembly for Wales in the North Wales region for the Welsh Conservative Party . He was first elected to the Assembly on May 1 2003. AM said: "The idea of the taking the inquiry on the road was to get everybody's views. Hopefully, it showed democracy working." He joined Sustainability Committee chairman Mick BatesAMthere. Lesley GriffithsAM was at the Wrexham meeting in Queens Square. Mr Bates then went on to similar meetings in Carmarthen and Merthyr Tydfil. The Canoe Wales group welcomed the roadshow. Access officer Ashley Charlwood said it was a 'valuable' chance for the public to give evidence. He said: "The public should be able to use the water where it's environmentally appropriate and where there are clear definitions of reasonable access." But he urged the non-canoeists and non-anglers to also contact the Assembly. He said canoeists and anglers only represent 20% of people who use inland waterways and nearby land. The Country Landowners AssociationWales fears a "free-for-all" access policy would damage the country's pounds 148m-a-year angling sector, unsettle fish management and call into question the whole concept of land ownership. davidpowell@dailypost.co.uk CAPTION(S): Canoeists at Llangollen, but anglers have called for them to pay to use rivers |
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