Nation Cymru staff
Members of The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales’ youth forum have called on communities across Cardiff to join them as River Guardians in response to the recent pollution incident on the River Taff.
Since 2024, The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales’ Wilder Youth Forum have been tirelessly campaigning to protect the River Taff.
They have been monitoring the health of the river, collecting evidence with the aim of building a long-term dataset to track river pollution.
They’ve been working to inspire communities that live along the Taff with litter picks and river species ID sessions.
They’ve met with politicians and decision makers, with the goal of getting the government to act and recognise the value of our rivers.
Harry Hiscox, member of the Wilder Youth Forum said: “The recent kerosene spill is yet another example of the continued harm imposed on our remaining wild spaces in Wales.
“The River Taff has a long history of pollution: from sewage to heavy metals, and now, jet fuel. This constant mistreatment of our local river inspired us to start the Save Our Taff campaign.
“Our movement brings together volunteers to conduct water sampling, engage the community, and lobby politicians to fight for the future the Taff deserves: a river clean enough to swim in and healthy enough to support the ecosystems on which we all rely.
“This latest spill is clear evidence that our campaign for proper enforcement and regulation of river pollution in Wales is more relevant – and urgent – than ever.”
The fuel leak, which was first reported on Friday 16 October, started on a small tributary and has now spread more than 4km down the main river channel. The leak has been confirmed to be coming from the GE Aerospace site outside Nantgarw, which according to a statement released by GE Aerospace occurred on site while repair work was underway.
Impact on wildlife
Although Natural Resources Wales (NRW) responded quickly and has worked closely with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service to limit the environmental damage caused by the leak, large quantities of kerosene were visible on the water’s surface days after the incident was first reported.
While the extent of the environmental damage is yet to be confirmed, the fuel leak will have undoubtedly impacted river wildlife.
The damage that oils like kerosene can have on an ecosystem are well-documented. Coating the surface of the water, oil can get stuck in a passing creature’s feather, fur or skin, leading to reduced movement and in extreme conditions suffocation or drowning.
It can also be ingested accidentally, which will lead to organ failure and eventual death for anything unlucky enough to encounter the spill. Dead fish have already been reported as part of this incident, although not enough to categorise it as a major fish kill event.
Petroleum oils like kerosene can dissolve, oxidize, or be altered by bacteria, which can make it sink through the water column and into the riverbed. Here it can make its way into the bottom of the food chain, impacting microbes, plants and invertebrates that are an essential part of a river ecosystem. It may not be visible straight away, but over time this could cause knock-on effects up the food chain, impacting animals like Kingfishers, Otters, Trout and Salmon.
It couldn’t be a worse time of year for migratory fish to be hit by a pollution incident like this one. Salmon and Sea Trout start to spawn from October through into the winter months, with many making the perilous journey back upstream from the sea to their spawning sites. Oil spills can have lethal consequences for developing fish eggs, with effects ranging from causing deformities in the developing embryo, to suffocation.
Lauren Conway, member of the Wilder Youth Forum said: “Incidents like this threaten the very ecosystems we’re working so hard to protect. We need meaningful action and accountability to ensure our rivers and the wildlife that depend on them are protected. Wildlife cannot speak up when its habitats are damaged, but we can, and we should.”
The Trust applauds the measures taken by NRW to reduce the amount of fuel making its way into the river and hopes that the resulting investigations show a limited amount of environmental damage. Following this incident, the Trust want to see appropriate measures taken to prevent a pollution incident of this nature happening again.
How you can help the River Taff
The Wildlife Trust’s Wilder Youth Forum are calling for members of the public to join their Save Our Taff campaign as River Guardians, a network of people passionate about the River Taff. Through the River Guardian scheme, the youth forum will be training people on how to spot pollution incidents, to help report pollution incidents quickly and help our regulators respond efficiently.
Alex Griffiths, Wilder Engagement Officer, who coordinates The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales’ Wilder Youth Forum said: “While pollution incidents like this are devastating to see, we remain hopeful that together we can save our Taff.”
To find out more and get involved, visit www.welshwildlife.org/save-our-taff
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