Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
 


For a number of years parts of Wales have experienced a range of problems associated with dumped or abandoned horses and ponies. The problem has been increasing over recent years with problems extending to local authority areas in many parts of Wales but especially along the M4 corridor.


 


Fly\-grazing, as the problem has become known, has attracted considerable media coverage over recent months and describes in simple terms the actions of some irresponsible owners who release their horses onto land over which they have no authority to graze. The animals involved are in the main unidentified in terms of ownership, appear suddenly, strip the land of available grazing and disappear as quickly as they appeared leaving land owners with large bills to repair the damage caused.


 


The majority of the horses and ponies found fly\-grazing are of the Gypsy Cob type that had a profitable export market until a few years ago. With the economic downturn, those overseas markets have largely dried up. The UK equine market is also depressed and the once buoyant trade for these types of animals has decreased dramatically thereby creating a surplus of unwanted horses and ponies.


 


The Welsh Government recognises that this is a considerable problem and one which causes unnecessary suffering to many horses and ponies. The Welsh Government will take firm action to control and eliminate this problem.


 


Given the difficulties caused to people in communities across Wales and the fact that it crosses a number of Ministerial portfolios, the First Minister has asked me to take the Ministerial lead on this issue. I will therefore lead the Government's response and will seek advice from officials across government, from the police and local authorities and from animal charities and other stakeholders as necessary. 


 


A Welsh Equine Welfare Summit was held on 12 September, jointly organised by the Welsh Government, RSPCA and the National Equine Welfare Council. The summit which aimed to encourage partnership working also allowed those from equine and enforcement organisations to identify concerns and look at short and long term solutions to the problem. More than 70 people attended the summit including local authorities, the police, British Horse Society, Common Land Associations and various equine welfare charities. I am also aware that the National Assembly’s Cross Party Group on Horses has reviewed the issue and made a series of recommendations to address fly\-grazing.


 


I will make a further statement in response to this work later this month. In the short term the Government will put measures in place to address problems which may arise over the coming months whilst at the same time consulting on a long term solution. I will consult on my proposals for this long term solution which I expect to be able to put it in place in 2013\.


 


I have met with Carmel Napier, Chief Constable of Gwent who takes the lead on this matter for Chief Constables in Wales and will meet with local authority leaders in the next two weeks to ensure that we take a co\-ordinated and robust approach to resolving the problem.


 


I have asked my officials to review the existing legal framework within which we are able to address the issue of fly\-grazing. I recognise that the Animals Act 1971 provides legal tools and those contained in local Acts provide others.  However, there are anomalies with the legislation given that the powers in local Acts in respect of fly\-grazing differ by area. This is not satisfactory and I will be reviewing the options to ensure that there is a straightforward, robust and consistent legal framework across Wales.


 


Taken together, it is the objective of the Welsh Government to have a policy in place which will protect the welfare of horses and ponies, which safeguards the property and safety of the public and which penalises those who act without regard for either the health or welfare of their horses or the rights of the general public.







Translation:


 
  


Mae problemau’n bodoli mewn rhannau o Dde Cymru ers nifer o flynyddoedd yn sgil ceffylau a merlod yn cael eu gadael. Mae’r broblem wedi bod yn cynyddu dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, gyda’r problemau’n ymestyn i nifer o ardaloedd awdurdod lleol mewn sawl rhan o Gymru, ond yn arbennig ar hyd coridor yr M4\. 

  


Mae pori anghyfreithlon wedi cael cryn sylw yn y cyfryngau dros y misoedd diwethaf, a’i ystyr yn syml yw ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol gan rai berchenogion anghyfrifol sy’n rhyddhau eu ceffylau ar dir nad oes ganddynt unrhyw hawl i bori arno. Gan fwyaf nid oes modd adnabod perchennog yr anifeiliaid; mae’r anifeiliaid yn ymddangos yn sydyn, yn bwyta’r holl borthiant ar y tir ac yn diflannu’n sydyn, gan adael perchenogion y tir â chostau mawr i drwsio’r difrod a achosir. 

  


Cobiau Sipsiwn yw mwyafrif y ceffylau a’r merlod a welir yn pori’n anghyfreithlon, ac roedd y farchnad ar gyfer eu hallforio yn gwneud elw tan ychydig flynyddoedd yn ôl. Gyda’r cwymp economaidd, mae’r marchnadoedd tramor hyn wedi crebachu gan fwyaf. Mae marchnad geffylau’r DU wedi crebachu hefyd, ac mae cwymp syfrdanol wedi bod yn y fasnach lewyrchus gynt am y mathau hyn o anifeiliaid, sy’n golygu bod gormod geffylau a merlod dieisiau. 

  


Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cydnabod bod y broblem hon yn un sylweddol a’i bod yn achosi dioddefaint diangen i lawer o geffylau a merlod. Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru’n cymryd camau pendant i reoli a dileu’r broblem hon.

  


O ystyried yr anawsterau a achosir i bobl mewn cymunedau ledled Cymru a’r ffaith bod y mater hwn yn ymwneud â nifer o bortffolios Gweinidogol, mae’r Prif Weinidog wedi gofyn i mi arwain yn Weinidogol ar y mater. Felly byddaf yn arwain ar ymateb y Llywodraeth ac yn ceisio cyngor gan swyddogion ar draws y Llywodraeth, yr heddlu, awdurdodau lleol, elusennau anifeiliaid a rhanddeiliaid yn ôl y gofyn.

  


Cynhaliwyd Uwchgynhadledd Lles Ceffylau Cymru ar 12 Medi, a drefnwyd ar y cyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru, RSPCA a’r Cyngor Lles Ceffylau Cenedlaethol. Nod yr uwchgynhadledd oedd annog gwaith partneriaeth, ac roedd hefyd yn galluogi cynrychiolwyr sefydliadau ceffylau a gorfodaeth i ddatgan pryderon ac ystyried ffyrdd tymor byr a hirdymor o ddatrys y broblem. Daeth mwy na 70 o bobl i’r uwchgynhadledd, gan gynnwys cynrychiolwyr awdurdodau lleol, yr Heddlu, Cymdeithas Geffylau Prydain, cymdeithasau tir comin ac amryw elusennau lles ceffylau. Rwy’n ymwybodol hefyd bod y Grŵp Trawsbleidiol ar Geffylau yn y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol wedi adolygu’r mater ac wedi gwneud nifer o argymhellion i fynd i’r afael â thipio anghyfreithlon.

  


Byddaf yn gwneud datganiad pellach mewn ymateb i’r gwaith hwn yn ddiweddarach y mis hwn. Yn y tymor byr, bydd y Llywodraeth yn rhoi mesurau ar waith i fynd i’r afael â phroblemau a allai godi dros y misoedd nesaf, gan ymgynghori ar ateb hirdymor ar yr un pryd. Byddaf yn ymgynghori ar fy nghynigion ar gyfer yr ateb hirdymor hwn rwy’n disgwyl y bydd modd ei roi ar waith yn 2013\.

Rwyf wedi cwrdd â Carmel Napier, Prif Gwnstabl Gwent, sy’n arwain ar y mater hwn ar ran Prif Gwnstabliaid Cymru, a byddaf yn cwrdd ag arweinwyr yr awdurdodau lleol yn y pythefnos nesaf i sicrhau ein bod yn mynd ati mewn ffordd gydlynus a chadarn i ddatrys y broblem. 

Rwyf wedi gofyn i’m swyddogion adolygu’r fframwaith cyfreithiol sydd ar gael ar hyn o bryd i ni fynd i’r afael â phroblem pori anghyfreithlon. Rwy’n cydnabod bod Deddf Anifeiliaid 1971 yn cynnig y dulliau cyfreithiol a bod dulliau eraill ar gael drwy Ddeddfau lleol. Fodd bynnag, mae anghysondebau yn y ddeddfwriaeth o ystyried bod y pwerau yn y Deddfau lleol mewn perthynas â phori anghyfreithlon yn amrywio o ardal i ardal. Mae hyn yn anfoddhaol a byddaf yn adolygu’r opsiynau i sicrhau bod fframwaith cyfreithiol syml, cadarn a chyson yn bodoli ledled Cymru.

At ei gilydd, amcan Llywodraeth Cymru yw mabwysiadu polisi a fydd yn diogelu lles ceffylau a merlod, yn diogelu eiddo a’r cyhoedd ac yn cosbi’r rheini sy’n ymddwyn heb ystyried iechyd a lles eu ceffylau a hawliau’r cyhoedd.