SoNaRR 2025: Direct exploitation

Natural Resources Wales

This information is part of the State of Natural Resources Report 2025

Direct exploitation is the use of natural resources, including living organisms, for food and materials. The pressures caused relate to the manner in which they are removed for our use as well as the direct removal and reduction of a renewable or non-renewable natural resource.

Key messages

  • Current regulation strives to prevent pressures from licensed water abstraction. Efficient use of water will become ever more necessary as climate change scenarios predict an increasing frequency of prolonged dry periods. Conservation and re-use of water across all sectors is vital to increase climate change resilience and water and energy security.
  • The evidence to determine whether marine fisheries in Welsh waters are sustainable or not is limited. Bycatch is a significant threat to several species of marine mammal in UK waters and is of particular concern for certain fisheries operating in the wider Celtic and Irish seas and beyond. However, there is limited information on bycatch in net fisheries in Wales and further work is required to provide robust estimates in Wales.
  • We have a better understanding of Freshwater fisheries in Welsh rivers and lakes, particularly migratory salmonids and eels. Eel stocks internationally are currently below sustainable limits and NRW has effectively closed the fishery since 2021. Stocks of Atlantic Salmon are also below sustainable limits, with all 22 Principal stocks classed as At Risk. We are also increasing concerned about sea trout fisheries with 32 of 33 stocks being classed as At Risk. Byelaws introduced in 2020 currently require all net and rod salmon to be released unharmed, and also provide size, method and season restrictions to protect sea trout.
  • Soils can be directly exploited in the production of food, fibre and other outputs, which can place pressure on soils when unsustainably managed. Built development permanently removes or seals soils, including sending them to landfill and resulting in the irreversible loss of this finite resource.
  • The historic practice of draining naturally wet soils has degraded peatlands and wetlands, released carbon, and lowered productivity. The National Peatland Action Plan has restored 3,000 hectares of peat soils between 2000 and 2025.

Underlying evidence

The SoNaRR 2025 assessment of Direct Exploitation is informed by evidence set out in the Pressures for each Natural Resource and Ecosystem. You will find it in the drivers of change and pressures detailed evidence within our interactive Power BI report linked below. The Ecosystems with relevant evidence are freshwater, marine and mountain, moorland and heath. The Natural resources with relevant evidence are soils and water.

Read our Natural Resource and Ecosystem assessments.

Access the detailed evidence through our SoNaRR 2025 Evidence portal.

View full screen version.

Key evidence sources

Explore some of the evidence we have used to inform our assessment:

Case studies

The National Peatland Action Programme

The National Peatland Action Programme is a 5-year plan of peatland restoration in Wales, 2020 – 2025. Restoration action on over 1650 hectares in the first two years means the programme surpassed its initial restoration targets of 600-800 hectares of public and private land every year.

Natural Resources Wales / The National Peatland Action Programme

Last updated