AssetID: 53998647
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Amy Hughes, 19, the only female coral fisher on the River Towy
Caption: **VIDEO AVAILABLE. CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM TO RECEIVE.** Amy Hughes,19, started coracle fishing at only 12 years old and is the only female coracle fisher on the River Towy, Carmarthen. Amy is breaking traditions as historically, women were not allowed to fish on the river, with duties limited to making and cleaning nets. “Being the only woman fishing on the River Towy is quite a privilege, being able to have that opportunity to fish, knowing back in the day women weren't allowed to.” Fishing in pairs, Amy joins her Father, Alex Hughes, who has been fishing on the River Towy for 22 years and has taught her everything she knows. Amy jokes, “My Father got me involved because he never had a son, so he thought he’d make cool memories with his daughter, which still turned out perfectly fine because I brought him the good luck.” “I love to fish on the coracles with my dad” Amy explains, “we have a laugh and a joke, we take the mick out of each other like tugging on the net pretending there a fish in the net ready to go when there’s not really.” The time spent on the river at night bonding and creating “cool memories” with her father is also be a peaceful, soothing, experience for Amy “The reason I like fishing at night is you get to see otters, seals and herons, and even seeing the starry night is just eye catching, it’s so amazing. Every time you go out everything is different." Coracle fishers fish at night so that the fish don’t see the shadow of the coracles as they pass down the river. But even fishing at night for several hours, the fishers have to be lucky to catch a fish as unlike days gone by, this sustainable tradition of fishing on the river is under threat from various factors including, low Sewin (sea trout) fish stock, pollution, bylaws placed on them by Natural Resources Wales whereby coracle fishers cannot fish for salmon - any salmon caught has to be returned to the river, the rising cost for a license to coracle fish and limited number of months fishing - coracle fishers are only permitted to fish between May and end of July. Currently there is only four nets, that's eight coracle fishermen who fish in total on the River Towy and River Taf in Carmarthenshire. Amy, being a second generation coracle fisher and not wanting to see this unique tradition die, she explains “I’d like to see my children try it in the future, but unfortunately I don’t think it will be there. It is important to keep this tradition going because it is part of Carmarthen and it’s history. I think it’s very good for younger generations to get involved as society these days are full of screens and social media, when being on the coracles and on the river it’s the complete opposite. You’ve got the wildlife, you’re carefree, you’re enjoying yourself and making cool memories.”
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PersonInImage: Amy Hughes