Coracles have been used to fish the River Teifi for centuries. The Teifi Coracle Netsman's Association was established to help preserve this ancient tradition.
The association has three main activities:
Coracle fishing continues to be under threat. There are now just 21 coracle fishing licences available each year; about half of these are for the River Teifi. Recent (2020) byelaw changes, following a public inquiry, have done nothing to counter this threat, with the fishing season length cut almost in half whilst licence costs remain unchanged. However, the coracle fishermen of the Teifi continue to fish for sewin (sea trout)*. In recognition of the unique history behind coracle fishing, in 2017 West Wales Coracle Caught Sewin and West Wales Coracle Caught Salmon were awarded EU Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) status - which is a legal protection to protect and promote regionally significant food products.
*Coracles have traditionally also fished for salmon, however the 2020 byelaw changes mean that all salmon is now catch and release
One of the biggest threats to coracle fishing in Wales at the moment is pollution. Over the past few years there have been some high profile pollution events, with slurry run offs from agricultural land being a sadly too frequent occurance. The Association is very active in reporting these to Natural Resources Wales, the local governing body, and raising awareness of this serious issue which not only affects all fishermen but also has serious consequences on the wellbeing of local wildlife and the environment.
Finally, the Association play a key part in the annual Cilgerran Festive Week, including the coracle regatta which is not only the highlight of the week, but thought to be the longest running coracle regatta in the UK. This usually takes place on a Saturday in mid August, at the end of Cilgerran Festive Week.
Facebook: facebook.com/teificoracle
Email/phone: Mark Dellar - contact via the Society Secretary
