THE Salmon and Trout Conservation Cymru group is stepping up the pressure to protect rivers, streams and aquatic wildlife from the growing threat of pollution.

A packed seminar at the Royal Welsh Showground agreed that a much greater commitment towards the enforcement of guidelines and regulations by Welsh Government is required.

The meeting came following reports over the Easter weekend of the closure of Traeth Dolau in New Quay and a significant fish kill on an important sea trout spawning tributary of the Conwy, both as a consequence of farmyard slurry spills.

There have also been significant slurry spills on the River Teifi 16 months ago and more recently on the River Gamman at Nevern in February this year. Both instances are being investigated by Natural Resources Wales.

The issue of pollution has been regularly raised by the Teifi Trout Association as one of the contributing reasons to declining fish stocks.

The recent seminar brought together leading conservation, policy and farming organisations in an effort to reach a consensus on how best to reverse the increasing numbers of pollution incidents.

The principal focus of the seminar was the impact intensive agricultural practices are having on streams and rivers, largely as a consequence of the spreading on the land of farmyard slurry and poultry litter.

Paul Knight, chief executive of Salmon and Trout Conservation said: “While we agree with the call from the landowning representatives that stakeholders should work in collaboration to resolve these matters, we must also keep in mind that the connectivity of rivers means that one irresponsible act can have profound and far-reaching effects on the myriad species that exist in and around our wonderful rivers.

“We therefore believe that a strong regulatory programme needs to underpin river restoration, so that the diligence of the majority is not destroyed by the thoughtlessness of the few.”

Richard Garner Williams, national officer for S&TC Cymru, said: “There was also a call at the seminar for the adoption of a zero tolerance attitude towards the transfer of agricultural by-products into the freshwater environment.

“We are facing increasing legislation on air quality and S&TC believe that the same urgency for protection should be given to our wild waters.

“It is appalling that many of our rivers are under as much threat from human activity as they were at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Restoring the health of our rivers in to their former glory is paramount and I felt that, for the first time, we arrived at a general consensus that to do nothing is no longer an option.

“Having regulators, conservationists and farming representatives in one room to dig deeper into some of the challenges arising from land management and identifying and discussing workable and immediate solutions was a very positive sign.”