Picture of bootcamp participants
The “Barrier Removal Bootcamp” was a success, the 2-day training event focused on river barriers, how to remove these barriers and how to do habitat surveys.
A total of 23 participants attended the bootcamp, hosted by the Wye & Usk Foundation in Talgarth, near Brecon on the 20 and 21st of June 2022.
Day one started with a talk on the conservation status of Atlantic salmon in Wales. This was followed by five talks focusing on the different types of barriers, how to choose which barriers to remove, and the importance of habitat monitoring.
In the afternoon, the participants shared their views on how to make barrier removal more streamline. Swansea University led the workshop using the theory of change framework. The results of this consultation will be freely available and disseminated in the Reconnecting the Salmon Rivers of Wales website.
This event was sponsored by the Reconnecting the Salmon Rivers of Wales, a project funded by the Welsh Government’s Nature Networks Fund, which is administered through the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales. This is a 17-month initiative, led by Swansea University, and aiming to remove 17 barriers in the Eastern and Western Cleddau, the Usk, Tywi and Teifi. In total, it will reconnect 141km of river.
Other partners in the project include Afonydd Cymru, West Wales Rivers Trust, The Wye & Usk Foundation, Afan Valley Angling Club, Welsh Water and Natural Resources Wales.
Check the barrier Removal Bootcamp talks