Recently voted one of the worst rivers in Wales, the Afon Menai is, in fact, not a river but a 30km tidal strait and home to one of the biggest aquaculture industries in Wales.

A perfect storm of BREXIT legislation with international trade, relaxing agriculture pesticide restrictions, human carelessness, growing populations, and climate change bringing flooding anddrought are all increasing the risk to water quality for the Menai Strait. These factors endanger wildlife and industry and risk changing the sustainability of the Menai Strait forever.

The North Wales Rivers Trust (NWRT) and the Menai Strait Fishery Order Management Association (MSFOMA) have joined forces to connect the issues between land and rivers and how they are impacting the water quality on the Menai Strait. Funded by the Welsh Government, the "Coastal Capacity Building Challenge Fund" enables coastal communities to come together and understand the marine environment and the challenges and pressures it faces, allowing grass-roots investment to these communities.

The Menai Strait Partnership Forum is the brainchild of Alan Winstone; director of NWRT and chairman of MSFOMA; 'We are dedicated to ensuring the Menai Strait remains sustainable for wildlife, recreation, and business. Progress happens by bringing people together. People from all walks of life have the drive and the influence to make a positive change. We want everyone in the community, local businesses, and organisations to come together and build solutions to the problems the Menai Strait may face.’

The Menai Strait is regarded as one of the most crucial aquaculture sites in all of Wales and the largest mussel farming area in the UK. The sheltered waters between Beaumaris and Caernarfon are home to diverse and thriving marine creatures, the perfect place for a day's sailing or paddle boarding, and a great place to spot birds and seals. The waters of the Strait are vital for making the world-famous Halen Môn salt, the oyster farm at Brynsiencyn, and the mussel farmers working from Porth Penrhyn. Generations of people have lived and prospered alongside the Strait. This new Menai Strait Partnership Forum ensures that future generations inherit a healthy environment.

Thirteen rivers currently drain into the Menai Strait, four on Anglesey and nine from the mainland, acting as vectors for much-needed nutrients and pollutants. Ocean Clean Up has estimated that just 1% of rivers cause 80% of ocean pollution.

NWRT CEO Laura Owen Sanderson says, 'As part of the Menai Strait Partnership Forum, we will be dedicated to discovering which rivers are causing significant impact to the Strait. Although the Strait is not a river, it suffers from similar problems due to land use, population, and high CSO release from the rivers that drain into it. In 2021 alone, these 13 rivers spilled sewage for 42,631 hours -equivalent to 1776 days in a 365-day year'.'

Due to the Menai Straits' strong tidal currents, most pollution is flushed into the open ocean and out of the Strait. The water quality in the Menai is generally classed as good by CEFAS at class B. In the central area, it is classed as excellent with an A classification.

Dr. Jim Andrews of MSFOMA explains, "Many local people don't realise it, but the Strait has been the most successful seafood farming area in the entire UK for decades, and the quality of seawater in the Menai Strait is vital for this industry; Mussels are sampled regularly to ensure that they are safe to eat. The central part of our farming area has the highest "Class A" designation, and we can export these mussels to the EU at certain times of the year. It's essential for jobs and businesses here that the water quality remains good and ideally improves so that all of the shellfish in the Strait are "Class A."

North Wales Rivers Trust Community Engagement Officer Oisin said, 'A better future for the Menai Strait is everyone's business. Be part of that change and join our first community forum to build solutions on March 23rd'.

The first community Menai Strait Partnership Forum will be held at Marine Centre Wales, School of Ocean Sciences, Menai Bridge on March 23rd from 6-7.30 pm. Guest speakers include Ocean Scientist Dr. Lewis Le Vay, paddleboarder and environmentalist Sian Sykes, Mussel Fisherman James Wilson and partnership founders NWRT and MSFOMA. Followed by a drop-in session on March 27th.

Click here for tickets.