Click here for the Welsh translationConflict on Water
throughout England and Wales, the Environment Agency is developing regional strategies for water-related recreation. the strategies identify specific priorities for the development of water-related recreation, but mindful of the need to work within the current legal framework. These strategies can be viewed on-line on the University of Brighton website:
Click here to go to http://www.brighton.ac.uk/waterrecreation/project_overview.htm in a new window
Research shows that participation in water-based activities is very variable, although there are increases in popularity of certain water-sports and locations. This leads to ‘hotspots’ of activity.
In some cases, such as the National Whitewater Centre at Canolfan Trweryn in Wales, there are no conflicts with other activities or nature conservation interests.
However, there are some examples of where environmental designations have prevented the use of some inland waters for sporting use, thus concentrating activity on remaining watercourses or bodies of water.
Even so, most people who engage in water-based activities want more places to practice their chosen activities.
Because angling is perhaps the most widespread activity, expansion of other water-based activities into ‘new’ areas can run into resistance from anglers, who (research has shown) perceive that the mechanism commonly use for securing permission to fish (i.e. permit system and leasing of fishing rights) gives them exclusive use of the waterbody.
Some types of water-based activity need water bodies with attributes appropriate to their activity:
- water skiers need adequate space and a right to use powered craft
- rowers need sufficiently long and straight sections of lake or river
- users of personal watercraft need water free of other users, for safety reasons.
So, conflict, where it arises, is often the result of a competition for the same stretch of water at the same time.
Perhaps the most common examples of conflicts (although for very different reasons) are canoeing and personal watercraft.
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