"The Foundation is not merely a lobbying organisation: through a series of partnership projects it has raised and spent significant sums of money to remedy the problems outlined below and made large stretches of river available to both anglers and canoeists at appropriate times.

Declining fish stocks were the initial catalyst for the formation of the then Wye Foundation. Building on the efforts of volunteers, the Foundation began in 1995 with the generous backing and support from fishermen, owners and others interested in the well being of the river.

Initially a survey of the Upper Wye tributaries uncovered considerable problems within the catchment.

Barriers to fish migrations, pollution, and damage from over grazing and over shading were prevalent throughout the tributaries.

In 1996 work began with timber blockages (some as high as twelve feet), weirs and other barriers to fish migration being removed to restore the passage of both brown trout and salmon to their native spawning streams.

Several cases of pollution, including several from sheep dips, were also been resolved as a result of the initial survey.

The next phase, and perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Foundation's work, involved restoring habitats that once supported a much wider range of fish, birds, animals and plants.

This includes the Atlantic salmon, so important since much of the local economy depends on this species.

In partnership with the Environment Agency, Countryside Council for Wales and Wildlife Trusts, the Foundation was successful in obtaining substantial European funding.

The first project was titled the Wye Habitat Improvement Project. It resulted in an encouraging upturn in the natural brown trout and stream invertebrate populations as well as improving the nursery habitat of salmon.

It was found that a whole range of other important species including Otters, Rannunculus and the native White Clawed Crayfish also benefited.

Since 1995 the number of returning Wye salmon has been below the level necessary to guarantee the survival of future generations. As a result, the Foundation sought to conserve every returning fish. Catch and release schemes and a set of byelaws have raised the percentage of salmon put back to spawn from 7% to 88%.

Realising that this alone would still not allow sufficient escapement, we also embarked on a plan to buy out the commercial fishermen in the Severn estuary.

This involved working with interests on the Usk and in 2002 the Wye and Usk Foundation was formed. Since then it has been running catchment restoration projects on both rivers.

On the upper Wye current activities include remedying the effects of acidification, alongside habitat restoration and the setting up of the successful Passport scheme, while the two UP! projects are improving fish access and restoring habitat in the Usk.

In 2005 we successfully bid for Leader + funds to repeat the successful restoration formula on the Lugg and Arrow.

In addition to tackling the weirs and barriers in this part of the catchment, this project is teaching primary school children about the life cycle of salmon.

They will also be rearing fish to stock out in the river Arrow.

In 2006 the Foundation launched three more projects. The Herefordshire Wye improvement project has allowed development of the English part of the catchment.

The Crayfish project is improving the fortunes for our severely endangered and nationally important population of native white clawed crayfish and the Lugg and Arrow (Radnorshire) project is restoring the upper part of the catchment of these two rivers."