Climate resilient fisheries: a strategy for the sustainable management of migratory and freshwater fishes and fisheries of Wales, 2026 – 2031

A vision for Welsh fisheries

In shaping how NRW delivers its freshwater and migratory fisheries duties, we are guided by a clear vision of the future of fish conservation and fisheries in Wales:

Wales has healthy and climate-resilient freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems that support thriving and diverse fish populations with sustainably managed fisheries. These fisheries will allow people from all backgrounds to connect to nature, providing powerful incentive to restore and maintain them for current and future generations.

 

Purpose

Natural Resources Wales is responsible for the regulation of inland fisheries in Wales (including salmon, sea trout, eel, smelt and lamprey out to six nautical miles) and has a duty under the Environment Act 1995 to “maintain, improve and develop fisheries”. 

Specifically, these duties require NRW to:

• to ensure the conservation and maintain the diversity of freshwater fish, salmon, sea trout and eels and to conserve their aquatic environment.
• to enhance the contribution made by salmon and freshwater fisheries to the economy, particularly in remote rural areas and in areas with low levels of income particularly in remote rural areas and in areas with low levels of income.
• to enhance the social value of fishing as a widely available and healthy form of recreation. 

These are enduring duties, however the way in which they are delivered and the objectives we seek to achieve, need to be defined to reflect changing organisational strategies (such as the NRW Corporate Plan), environmental pressures (especially climate change), funding and resourcing pressures as well as opportunities for wider partnership working.  It is also necessary to describe how fisheries are manged within the context of the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, as required under the Environment Act (Wales).

This strategy sets out a set of strategic objectives, which will help guide and prioritise how we deliver these duties over the next 5 years. 

 

The challenge

The aquatic ecosystems of Wales face a range of pressures, particularly climate change, pollution, and habitat degradation. There is increasing evidence that many freshwater and migratory fish populations are adversely impacted by these pressures. 

Declining fish populations and stocks impact society, eroding the deep-rooted connections many people have to nature through the recreational, heritage and commercial fisheries.

This powerful connection to nature however also offers a message of hope, as these iconic fish and fisheries are a potent driver for action. 

Meeting this challenge

Our corporate plan sets out how we intend to address our shared challenges of the climate change and nature crises, as well as the effects of pollution. 

By increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change and minimising pollution, NRW can help to sustain the fish populations and fisheries of Wales along with the benefits they bring to current and future generations of Wales.

The challenge for freshwater fisheries is to set out how, in a rapidly changing climate, we can work effectively within NRW, and with our partners and stakeholders, to ensure sustainably managed fisheries are climate resilient, contribute to the recovery of nature and support local communities.

Crucially, NRW’s work to sustainably manage the fisheries of Wales is directly supported by income for rod and net licences, with additional income from Welsh Government and other charges, such as water resources. It is essential therefore that NRW can demonstrate how this funding is used effectively to address the common challenges faced by Welsh freshwater fisheries.

Our strategic objectives

We have identified three key strategic objectives that will shape our priorities for funding and resource allocation from 2025 to 2030. This will see NRW doing some things differently. 

Welsh fisheries are resilient to climate change

A changing climate will inevitably affect water quantity, water quality and thermal regimes in our rivers and lakes with knock on effects to fish populations in freshwater systems. 

Our objective is to understand the impacts and help freshwater ecosystems withstand the increasing pressures, and that managers of Welsh coarse and game fisheries have the tools and guidance they need to adapt and respond to climate change.

To do this, we will:

a) Support and promote measures to improve climate resilience on rivers, estuaries and still waters, focusing on the key elements that support fish populations

i. Water quality - Acting on pollution and improving water quality of our rivers.
ii. Water quantity - Ensure water resources are manged to minimise impacts of drought or floods.
iii. River habitat - Sustaining the quality of physical habitats, by restoring degraded rivers and removing man-made barriers to upstream and downstream migration.
iv. Temperature – increasingly warmer temperatures in summer and winter are affecting fish movement, survival and breeding success. Creating thermal refugia, improved groundwater and soil infiltration and, critically, shading for rivers will be key to successful climate adaptation.

b) In the longer term, climate change may mean some of our rivers and lakes become unsuitable for certain cold water species. We need to explore how these changes will affect stocks and anticipate how fisheries need to adapt. 

c) Guidance and tools - We will ensure freshwater (still water and riverine) fisheries have access to advice and guidance to help sustain their fisheries in a changing climate. We will make a proportion of rod licence income available to support fishery managers to implement measures.

d) We seek to influence public and private environmental investment programmes to maximise the benefits for fish conservation and fisheries. 

e) We will continue to directly invest in and contribute to fish passage and habitat improvements to maximise habitat connectivity.

f) We will continue to ensure fish introductions and removals are professionally managed and safe and we will support the work of Fish Health Inspectorate and Welsh Government (WG) in responding to reportable fish disease outbreak.

g) We will make evidence-based regulatory and permitting decisions.

h) We will prevent and reduce the impacts of incidents by prioritising the most serious, based on the risk to the environment, people and wildlife. By working with companies and individuals to do the right thing, we will prevent incidents from occurring in the first place.

Declining and vulnerable stocks are protected and where possible on the path to recovery.

Some iconic species, such as Atlantic salmon, seatrout and eel, declining rapidly in the face of a wide range of pressures (Nunn et al 2023 and Milner & De Leaniz 2023). Our objective is to use the principles of Sustainable Management of Natural Resources to slow and halt their decline and support the recovery of all vulnerable species in Wales. We are also guided by the precautionary principle, advocated by North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO).

To do this, we will:

a) We will monitor and report on the status of salmon, sea trout and eel stocks so that NRW and partners have evidence to support our decision making. Monitoring of these and other fish species will support the ecological classification of water bodies for WFD and the conservation status of protected sites. 

b) Where wild stocks are subject to commercial or recreational fisheries, we will ensure that exploitation is controlled and sustainably managed. We will continue to follow advice from ICES and NASCO in setting limits on the exploitation of stocks. 

c) We will ensure regulatory controls for commercial and recreational fisheries are reviewed and renewed, with revisions where required, to protect stocks.

d) We will continue to take effective action to prevent, and respond to, illegal exploitation of protected stocks in fresh and coastal waters. This will include working more with partners to make best use of the support they can provide.

e) We will advocate for action to understand and prevent any risk of high seas exploitation and bycatch of migratory species.

f) We try to will understand the pressures on threatened stocks and ensure recovery plans are in place to address these. 

g) Ensure that NRW owned and operated fishery assets are well maintained, work effectively and are safe. 

h) NRW will continue use conservation designations, policies and legislation in the marine, freshwater and terrestrial environment to ensure protected sites are well manged to benefit fish stocks and protect vulnerable species. 

More people are connected to nature through fishing

Freshwater fisheries provide powerful connections to nature, as well as multiple socio-economic benefits to the communities of Wales.

Our objective is to ensure fishing provides an accessible opportunity for more people to connect to nature, improving well-being, and improving the environment. We also want to see fishing continue to provide cultural and economic benefits, especially to rural communities. 

To do this, we will:

a) Raise awareness, by working with others to promote fishing in Wales, both as a destination for visiting anglers and to increase participation within Wales.

b) Provide more people with the opportunity to try fishing, and we will work through others to support angling participation initiatives. 

c) We will seek to use rod licence income and other funding to support improved access to good quality fisheries, especially where there are clear community wellbeing benefits.  

d) We will continue to work with the Environment Agency to improve the joint Wales & England licence experience, and ensuing Wales receives a fair share of rod licence income. This will include continuous improvement to the Welsh language provisions in the licencing journey. 

e) We continue to engage with fisheries stakeholders in Wales to keep them informed seek their views.

In addition to these three strategic objectives for Welsh fisheries, we have also identified cross-cutting objectives that will help guide NRW in delivery if its fisheries duties:

• Maximise the opportunities to celebrate, support and promote fisheries as an important aspect of Welsh language and culture
• Clarity of funding and delivering value for money, so we can clearly demonstrate how fisheries income is spent. Welsh rod licence holders will see that they receive comparable or better levels of service to those in England
• Clear business planning, ensuring fisheries activities are well planned and tracked
• Regular and clear communications with fisheries stakeholders so that anglers and other stakeholders are well informed
• Delivering more through others. Where the skills to deliver these objectives lie outside NRW, we will seek opportunities to use those resources wisely. 
  
  

Making it happen

Our commitment to delivering the strategy will be demonstrated in a 5-year Fisheries Programme that will set out a series of SMART objectives for delivery between 2026 and 2031. This programme will be overseen by members of our leadership team, who will share accountability for parts of its delivery.

We will report on annual progress to the Welsh Government, the Natural Resource Management Business Board, and to Wales Fisheries Forum.

Annex 1 NRW’s Fisheries Duties and Powers

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is responsible for managing and regulating freshwater and migratory fisheries in Wales. The primary statutory duties regarding these fisheries arise from: 

The Environment (Wales) Act 2016: This legislation sets out the overarching framework for environmental management in Wales. NRW has a duty to manage natural resources sustainably, which includes freshwater ecosystems and fisheries.

and 

The Environment Act (1995) also confers on NRW the duty to “maintain, improve and develop fisheries…” Environment Act 1995 

The further duties and regulatory powers required to implement these duties are conferred through various legislations, including: 

The Water Resources Act 1991: This legislation empowers NRW to regulate and manage water resources, including freshwater habitats and fisheries. NRW is responsible for issuing licenses for fishing activities and ensuring compliance with regulations to protect fish populations and their habitats.

The Keeping and Introduction of Fish (Wales) Regulations 2013 (referred to as the KIF regulations) confer certain duties on Natural Resources Wales (NRW) concerning the keeping and introduction of fish in Wales. These regulations provide a legal framework for the management of fish species, including those that are native to Wales and those that are introduced.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981: This Act provides protection for freshwater and migratory fish species and their habitats. NRW has duties to conserve and protect designated habitats and species, including those associated with freshwater and migratory fisheries.

The Habitats Regulations: Under the EU Habitats Directive (transposed into UK law), NRW has duties to designate and manage Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) that support important freshwater habitats and species, including migratory fish such as salmon and sea trout.

The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009: While primarily focusing on marine environments, this Act also has implications for migratory fish species that migrate between freshwater and marine habitats. NRW has responsibilities for managing these transitional zones and ensuring the conservation of migratory fish populations.

The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (Wales) Regulations 2017: These regulations transpose the EU Water Framework Directive into Welsh law and require NRW to manage freshwater ecosystems and fisheries in a manner that achieves good ecological status or potential.

The Eels (England and Wales) Regulations 2009: These regulations afford powers to the  NRW to implement measures for the recovery of European eel stocks and have important implications for operators of abstractions and discharges. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is responsible for managing and regulating eel stocks and fisheries in Wales. 

The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009: These Regulations afford protections to fish and shellfish from serious disease. They are concerned with farming but also provide some protection for ornamental and wild fish and those for angling. They introduce a system of authorisation for businesses involved and measures used in the event of outbreaks of serious disease.

Overall, NRW's statutory duties involve the sustainable management, conservation, and regulation of freshwater and migratory fisheries in Wales, ensuring that these valuable resources are protected for future generations while also supporting sustainable use and enjoyment by the public.

Annex 2 Socio-Economic Value of fisheries

An NRW fisheries strategy should acknowledge and seek to enhance the social, economic and heritage importance of freshwater and migratory fisheries to Wales:

Economic value of Recreational Fishing and tourism:

Recreational angling contributes significantly to the economy of Wales through either direct expenditure on fishing equipment, and access to fishing, but also indirectly through accommodation, transportation, and other related services. According to a report commissioned by Natural Resources Wales (Mawle, 2018) recreational river fishing in Wales generates an estimated £20m Gross Value Added (a measure of the value of goods and services produced in a sector of an economy) per annum and supports more than 700 FTE (full-time equivalent) jobs. Rod licence duties from recreational angling raise over £1million each year, which is used to support the delivery of NRW’s fisheries duties.

Freshwater and sea angling has been estimated to be worth together approximately £150 million to the Welsh economy (Radford et al, 2007) with approximately 450,000 visitor angling (all freshwater) days recorded in Wales in 2005.

Social and wellbeing benefits: Angling plays a valuable role in enhancing social well-being in Wales by promoting physical and mental health and fostering community connections (Wilson et al, 2023). The recent increases in rod licence sales since Covid also show that more people may be participating in order to enjoy these wellbeing benefits.   

Commercial Net Fisheries: While not as prominent as recreational fishing, commercial fisheries in Wales have historically contributed to the economy through the capture and sale of fish. These included catches of species such as salmon, sea trout and eels. Currently however the taking of salmon and eels in Wales is prohibited, so the only commercial fishing for freshwater species is for sea trout, and here too declines in stock have required regulatory control.

Ecosystem Services: Healthy freshwater ecosystems and fish populations provide various ecosystem services that benefit society, such as water purification, flood regulation, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity conservation. These services have economic value in terms of avoided costs and benefits to human well-being.

Annex 3 Environmental Challenges and Threats

Migratory and freshwater fisheries in Wales face several key challenges and threats. These include habitat degradation, pollution, climate change, overfishing, and invasive species. Moreover, a decline in rod licence sales shows that fewer people may be  participating in the sport, reducing the income to invest in and support conservation and fisheries management.

1. Climate Change: Climate change is causing dramatic shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns, leading to changes in river flows and water temperatures. These changes are impacting fish populations in Wales, affecting their spawning, migration, and survival. Additionally, climate change is impacting the marine environment, causing changes in marine nutrients and prey availability affecting those species that complete their life cycles in marine habitats.
   
   
2. Habitat Degradation: This remains one of the most widespread threats to migratory and freshwater fisheries in Wales. Intensive agriculture, land development, and infrastructure projects can lead to the destruction and fragmentation of critical fish habitats. The loss of riparian woodland, and removal of boulders and woody materials from rivers diminish their ability to spawn and breed successfully and reduce carrying capacity.
   
   
3. Barriers to migration: Mostly a legacy of our industrial past, barriers to fish movement, both up- and downstream, continue to impose pressure on fish stocks.
   
   
4. Pollution: Pollution from various sources, including industrial and domestic discharges, agricultural practices, urban development, and road run-off, directly affects the water quality and are an ongoing threat to freshwater fisheries in Wales. The emergence of new hazardous chemicals and compounds, such as pharmaceuticals and micro plastics, pose a serious threat to freshwater biota, which may include sub-lethal effects that degrade population viability.
   
   
5. Exploitation: Legal fishing, by rods or nets, is comparatively well controlled in Welsh waters, and as such is not currently considered a major threat. NRW byelaws mandate for all salmon to be returned alive, supported by good catch and release practice by angers and nets. We also follow ICES guidance in closing eel fisheries until stocks recover. The risk of Illegal or unreported exploitation and bycatch, however, remain a concern for many migratory fisheries in Wales especially in high seas and coastal waters, where compliance and enforcement are a challenge.
   
   
6. Invasive Non-Native Species and fish diseases: Invasive species, such as signal crayfish and non-native fish species, can pose a serious threat to native fish populations in Wales. These species can outcompete native fish for food and habitat, introduce diseases, and disrupt the natural balance of the ecosystem. Controlling and managing invasive species is a crucial task for protecting the biodiversity of freshwater fisheries. The possible introduction of the parasite Gyrodactylus salaris from Scandinavia and continental Europe remains a real threat.
   
   
7. Predation: Predation, in the freshwater ad marine phases is a natural phenomenon and will typically be self-regulating. In some circumstances however, predation can exert an additional pressure that may hinder the recovery of vulnerable stocks. Increased habitat complexity, providing more cover for fish, and removal of barriers to migration can help to alleviate this pressure. NRW has also worked with stakeholders to review the impact fish eating birds and their potential impact on vulnerable fish stocks. We have reviewed the licencing requirements and have implemented a new catchment based licencing approach that balances the conservation needs for both fish and birds.
   
   
8. Marine infrastructure developments, such as energy schemes may present a risk to migratory fish socks, may affect migration pathways or impact local habitats, affecting the availability of food and shelter for migratory fish. Turbine damage is also a significant concern for migratory fish species in tidal power projects.
   
   

Annex 4 Opportunities and Solutions

Despite these challenges, there are opportunities to improve the status of migratory and freshwater fisheries in Wales through sustainable management practices, habitat restoration efforts, community engagement, education and outreach programs, research and monitoring initiatives, and collaborative partnerships between government agencies, NGOs, anglers, and local communities.

Addressing these challenges and threats requires coordinated efforts from all organisations involved in fisheries management and conservation. Some key objectives to mitigate these challenges include:

1. Awareness raising: Beyond implementing specific physical or regulatory measures to address environmental risks and threats, the single most effective measure may be simply to engage with communities of Wales and raise awareness of the action they can take. Increasing sustainable participation in fishing should be an integral part of this message.
2. Catchment-based partnership to restore river habitats: Implementing River restoration projects to improve the quality and connectivity of freshwater habitats for freshwater fish species can involve restoring natural river channels, removing barriers, installing fish passes and easements to navigate obstructions, and protecting critical spawning and nursery areas. NRW already delivers or supports an extensive programme of river restoration initiative, supported by WG's Nature and Climate Emergency fund and LIFE projects (EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action). Continuation of these schemes is essential. We also need to continue collaborating with partners in the 3rd sector like the rivers and wildlife trusts, to implement these schemes and secure third-party funding. Private finance initiatives are increasingly looking to invest in landscape scale projects to improve water quality and flow management.
3. Tree planting and Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): Embedding landscape river and water quality protection measure into the SFS scheme could address multiple pressures from land use that effect our river systems. Moreover, targeting appropriate woodland creation to riverbanks with degraded vegetation can dramatically improve climate resilience, improving soil run-off, sustaining, and moderating river flows and critically shading and cooling river temperatures. A Keeping Rivers Cool initiative for Wales, which prioritises, incentivises, and facilitates a dramatic increase in riparian tree planting, offers the single most effective measure for sustaining river ecosystem in a changing climate.
4. Improving and protecting water quality: NRW, Welsh Government and our partners are already heavily focused on improving water quality in Wales. By promoting sustainable land management practices to minimise nutrient and sediment runoff as well as enforcing regulations to control pollution from agricultural and industrial sources can dramatically improve river ecosystems.
5. Sustainable fisheries management: NRW already regulates fisheries using precautionary principles to ensure vulnerable stocks are not exploited. We should continue this approach, whilst seeking ensure that we have confidence in our stock assessments and the efficiency of our regulatory measures, as well as promoting and supporting the voluntary measures of fisheries.
6. Supporting still water and coarse fisheries: Commercially and publicly accessible still water fisheries are an important part of the fisheries landscape in Wales and continue to provide opportunities for communities to connect with nature. NRW should continue to advise these fisheries on sustainability and climate resilience, with funding from rod licence income to support wider public access.
7. Predation: NRW has sought guidance from an independent advisory group on fish-eating birds and is implementing a programme of measures to help protect vulnerable stocks, particularly to protect migrating smolts at key pinch points in their downstream migration. We reviewed the licencing requirements and implemented  a new catchment based licencing approach.
8. Invasive species control: Implementing measures to control and manage invasive species, such as conducting targeted removal efforts, developing early detection and rapid response protocols, and raising awareness about the risks associated with the introduction and spread of invasive species.
9. Marine planning: The impacts of marine energy project can be mitigated through careful planning, environmental assessments, and the implementation of fish-friendly technologies. For example, hydroacoustic tagging and tracking can be used to monitor fish movements and inform the design of tidal power projects to minimise their impact.
10. Working with and through others: Fisheries and angling representative bodies and NGOs, such as Afonydd Cymru and the Rivers Trusts, can be highly effective and efficient in delivering practical measures to address habitat and water quality pressures. We will also seek to advocate for action on an international basis, such as raising our concerns about high seas losses with NASCO. 

Annex 5 Fisheries Contributions to our Corporate Plan Wellbeing Objectives

By taking an ecosystem-based approach to managing these fisheries, freshwater and migratory fisheries management aligns directly to each of the three Corporate Plan wellbeing objectives. 

Wellbeing Objective 1 - Nature is recovering

Habitat restoration: Most freshwater fish species are sensitive to their environment and maintaining or restoring healthy aquatic habitats is essential for their survival. By working to improve and protect the quality of rivers, lakes, and wetlands, fisheries management can contribute to the recovery of natural ecosystems and their biodiversity.

Species conservation: Freshwater fisheries can directly support the conservation of native fish species. Efforts to restore or protect vulnerable species can help restore the ecological balance and contribute to the recovery of natural ecosystems.

Advocacy and awareness: By raising awareness and engaging with communities, about the status and plight of fish stocks, we can help drive behaviour and policy change to help nature recovery.

Wellbeing Objective 2 - Communities are resilient to climate change

Climate mitigation: By employing nature-based solutions, such as peatland restoration, riparian tree planting, measures to restore and protect freshwater ecosystems can contribute to climate change mitigation.

Climate adaptation: We can integrate climate projections into fisheries planning to safeguard species vulnerable to warming and altered flow regimes. NRW can also promote adaptive fisheries policies that support sustainable angling and fish population monitoring under changing environmental conditions.

Economic opportunities: Sustainable freshwater fisheries can provide economic opportunities for local communities, including jobs, tourism, and recreational activities.

Water resource management: Proper management of freshwater fisheries can also involve managing water resources, which is crucial for ensuring water availability and quality in the face of changing climate conditions.

Wellbeing objective 3 - Pollution is minimised

Water quality: Effective freshwater fisheries management often involves monitoring and improving water quality. Reducing pollution, such as agricultural runoff or industrial discharge, is essential for the health of aquatic ecosystems and the fish populations within them.

Education and advocacy: Fisheries management can also educate the public and stakeholders about the importance of clean water and the dangers of pollution, leading to greater advocacy and support for pollution control measures.