If the proposed Severn Barrage goes ahead it would be ‘curtains’ for the fishing industry according to the Severn Netsmen Association.

Severn Netsmen Association secretary, John Powell, said: “We are appalled by the idea of the barrage. It would be horrendous, really horrendous.

“It would be the end of our Association and the end of the fishing industry in the area,” added Powell. “It would be curtains.”

Powell said: “The implications are enormous and the effects a barrage would have on the local wildlife just don’t bear thinking about.”

“All of the rivers which run into the Severn – the Wye, Usk and the Avon would all be severely affected,” added Powell. “The barrage is driven by one thing and one thing only – money!”

However, Bristol Port Company has played down the scale of damage which the proposed project could cause to the industry, while calling for the government to consider the port’s needs in their study.

Concerns

Patrick Kearon of Bristol Port Company said: “We are not against the idea of a barrage but most of our concerns and issues could be overcome with appropriate resources. Such a development would not ‘kill off the port.’”

The barrage project has proved popular with many politicians due in part to its provision for local jobs, with the Wales Office believing it could create 40,000 jobs.

Welsh Liberal Democrats assembly member for South Wales, Peter Black, said: “It is a clear way forward, using tested technology that will be guaranteed to produce the desired outcomes.

“It will create employment and will provide a new and permanent link between both sides of the Severn Estuary,” added Black.

 

 

Report: Clean energy but clear conscience?

 

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