A 68-year-old man from Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, has been fined for illegally panning for gold in a protected river in north Wales. Brian Wright, a repeat offender, was apprehended gold panning in the Afon Wen river, an area managed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
Gold panning is prohibited on NRW-managed land due to the potential for damage to river ecosystems. NRW stated that the excavation of gravel and removal of minerals can disturb riverbeds, negatively impacting wildlife habitats. While many may be unaware of the consequences, gold panning can lead to prosecution if it risks disturbing spawning fish or impacting river habitats.
Wright had previously been sentenced for similar offenses in May 2022. Euros Jones, NRW manager for north-west Wales, described gold panning as "damaging" and warned of its "concerning environmental cost" in an interview with BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
Jones noted that Dolgellau, the area where the Afon Wen river flows, has a historical association with gold mining, and small specks of gold can be found among the river's gravel. "There is a romance around the gold, and it does attract people to the river because it is known for this," he said.