MANAGEMENT OF THE ACTION PLAN

The production of the Ogmore SAP closely follows the conclusion of Local Contribution for SouthWest Area, which identifies how we will achieve our targets for environmental improvement. SAPs will support the salmon element of the Local Contribution at a local level as well as providing the basic information to enable Regional and National overviews of salmon stocks, their fisheries and the issues facing them. Such information is needed to report to Government and to the public on the National Salmon resource and to contribute to international management of salmon fisheries via the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO).

A review of the Action Plan will also be produced after 5 years, with a similar format to this Plan. It will report the progress achieved over the preceding five years and examine the need to revise actions in light of changes to salmon stocks, the state of the Ogmore catchment, as well as advances in our knowledge of the fishery.

Whilst we have every expectation of delivering the SAP actions, the following points should also be noted:

-       Many of the costs quoted consist of staff time, and these actions will be carried out in conjunction with our routine work. Actions requiring input other than from in-house staff will be treated as special projects, subject to prioritisation with other initiatives and bidding procedures for available funding.

-      Some actions will require feasibility studied and cost-benefit appraisal of options before work starts. Where the costs outweigh the potential benefits, further action may not be viable. The Agency and participating organisations must balance limited resources with prioritised plans. These plans may be subject to change if funding becomes restricted, where there is a change in government policy or where new priorities emerge.