Archived press release

Labour's Day of Wildlife Shame as Cardiff Barrage Closes

4 November 1999

Friends of the Earth today accused the Government of “shameful hypocrisy” as the Cardiff Bay Barrage was finally closed, allowing sea water to destroy the Taf-Ely Estuary - a nationally important wildlife site. Although Labour promised to abandon the Barrage when in opposition, the development was allowed to continue by Ron Davies - then Welsh Secretary - when Labour swept to power in 1997 [1]. The Barrage's closure comes just weeks before the Government is expected to announce tougher protection for wildlife sites.

The Taf-Ely Estuary is a Site of Special Scientific Interest visited by thousands of migratory redshank and dunlin who have fed and sheltered there for thousands of years. The Barrage will permanently flood the estuary - in order to hide the “unsightly” mudflats - creating a lake to encourage “waterfront” development. The Taf-Ely Estuary is also an important part of the Severn Estuary - declared a Special Protection Area under European Law. However,it was excluded from the SPA by the UK Government to allow the barrage to be built.

Julian Rosser of Friends of the Earth Cymru said:
"This is a tragic day for wildlife and a shameful day for New Labour. One minute they are going to give greater protection for wildlife sites, the next they are presiding over the destruction of a nationally important wildlife site. And what will it create? A £200 million pound algae-infested, sewage-polluted, fake lake."

What Labour said in opposition:
"..they [the Conservative Government] have presided over the wholesale destruction of sites which have been designated. We have seen them wriggle dishonestly and illegally out of their international obligations under the EC directive." Ron Davies (Hansard, 20 October 1992).

"The case for the Barrage was never proved to my satisfaction and there
were overwhelming environmental grounds for rejecting it." Ron Davies (Letter to Cardiff FOE, 3 June 1994).

"I have never believed that the barrage will achieve the things that it is said it will achieve and, if at all possible, the contract will be cancelled." Ron Davies (Western Mail, 2 November 1994).

Contact: Julian Rosser 01222 229 577 07887 661442 (Mobile)

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust