• Abstractions. The Agency
is currently developing Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies
(CAMS) for all its main rivers. CAMS will make more information
on water resources publicly available and enable us to establish
the needs of abstractors and other water users along with those
of the aquatic environment. The strategies will be developed in
consultation with the local community and other interested parties.
The River Ogmore is included in the Neath, Afan and Ogmore CAMS.
Work starts on this CAMS in 2002 and the final strategy will be
published in 2004. As with all CAMS, this will be reviewed every
six years.
• Stocking. A major pollution
incident in December 1987 caused a massive fish mortality over
14km of river from the mid reaches of the Llynfi to the Ogmore
estuary. As a consequence, the Llynfi/Ogmore Restoration Group
(LORG) was established to implement the restoration of the salmon
and sea trout fishery with the £200, 000 compensation awarded
from the incident.
A stocking programme was agreed by LORG in 1989. Stocking of non-native
juvenile salmon was permitted as native stocks had all but disappeared,
but sea trout were obtained from catchment broodstock to maintain
genetic integrity. The principal Ogmore salmon stocking programme
started in 1990, though LORG were able to stock some fish in 1989.
The Ogmore sea trout stocking programme commenced in 1991. The Llynfi
stocking programme was commenced in 1992 when it was felt that water
quality had improved sufficiently to support the fishery. A total
of 189, 000 one year old salmon, and 113 000 sea trout were stocked.
A total of 103, 000 juvenile salmon and 103, 000 juvenile trout
stocked were also microtagged and adipose fin clipped to enable
recognition of recaptured fish. At the end of 1999, a total of 126
salmon had been recaptured off southern Ireland, and a further 79
salmon and 14 sea trout had been recaptured in home waters (including
6 salmon and 1 sea trout taken in rivers other than the Ogmore -
Usk, Tywi, Tawe, Taff and Severn).
• Access to spawning areas. The
upstream migration of salmon on the Ogmore is impeded by very
few artificial and natural barriers. Generally obstructions are
minor and located high within the catchment and thus do not markedly
affect the usable spawning area available to salmon. A fish pass
was constructed on a tributary of the Llynfi (the Sychbant) in
1991. This pass consists of a fish ladder based on Canadian design
for use in culverts in remote areas. The fish ladder is, however,
prone to debris collection, and requires regular maintenance.
An action is included in the SAP to maintain this fish pass, and
consider alternative solutions.
• Monitoring. Electric
fishing surveys have been undertaken annually by the Environment
Agency since 1985, as part of the Welsh Regional Juvenile Salmonid
Monitoring Programme (RJSMP), to monitor the status of juvenile
salmonid populations. A total of 28 sites are currently monitored
in the Ogmore catchment. These include 3 quantitative sites to
be monitored annually and a further 17 semi-quantitative and 8
five-minute-riffle sites to be monitored on a 5 year rolling programme.
• Exploitation. In recent
years, the Agency and a section of the angling community have
promoted voluntary catch and release as a method of stock enhancement.
Catch and release rates have improved substantially since 1993
when only 10% of salmon caught were reported released in England
and Wales. For the Ogmore, 35% of salmon caught were released
in 2000, and 42% of salmon caught were released in 2001. This
is comendable and compares favourably with an average return rate
for Wales of 31% in 2000 and 28% in 2001. Nonetheless, given the
state of the stocks at present, any salmon exploited will be limiting
future stock abundance. We would therefore like to see catch and
release rates increased.
• Legislation. During
1999, a set of National byelaws were passed by the Minister of
Agriculture Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for
Wales. These are designed to increase spawning escapement of declining
spring salmon, and require all anglers to return with least possible
injury, any salmon caught before the 16th June. These measures
are in place for a period of 10 years, and are subject to review
in 2004. An interim review will be carried out next year (2003).
This Action Plan builds upon these achievements and sets out future
proposals for the next five years.
Ogmore
River Salmon Action Plan December 2002