English: Diolch, Llywydd. And as the red squirrel species champion in the Senedd, I'm absolutely delighted to see that this debate has been brought forward by the Petitions Committee. And before I go any further, I must declare an interest in this debate as the honorary member of the Red Squirrels Trust Wales and indeed a member of the Clocaenog Red Squirrels Trust as well. And I want to pay tribute to the incredible work of the lead petitioner, Dr Craig Shuttleworth, for organising the petition, and the incredible work that he does, day in, day out, in leading red squirrel conservation efforts across the country. He's not alone, of course - there are the Red Squirrels Trust, the Clocaenog Red Squirrels Trust, the Welsh Mountain Zoo and a whole army of others, including many volunteers, who give their time, effort and resources fighting for these super furry animals. Since being appointed as the red squirrel champion back in 2016, it's been an absolute thrill to get to know more about this unique and iconic species and to visit many of the projects across Wales and to learn about the efforts being made to boost the fortunes of the red squirrel population and to revive it. For over 10,000 years, the red squirrel population was the dominant population here in Wales of squirrels. And not only that, it populated the vast majority of the British Isles. But we know from what has already been shared today that that population dwindled significantly, and as late as the 1990s there were just a few hundred red squirrels scattered across Wales in small population pockets, which were at risk. But it was at that time, before the turn of the millennium, that heroic conservation efforts to revive the species began. And thanks to these efforts, I'm proud to say that in my own constituency the Clocaenog forest now has a sustainable small, but growing red squirrel population. In mid Wales, the Vincent Wildlife Trust released pine martens, a predator to grey squirrels, and that project has, so far, also proved successful in boosting the population numbers there. But the biggest triumph, in my opinion, for any conservation effort of any animal in Wales, has been on the island of Anglesey. Because, thanks to its status as an island, an ambitious plan to remove grey squirrels was hatched, and, by 2015, it was announced that Anglesey was a grey squirrel-free zone. But all these efforts, they've been undermined, and they've been undermined due to outdated forestry legislation, which pays no regard to at-risk wildlife populations. How can it be that while it's illegal to kill or injure a red squirrel or disturb a red squirrel in its drey or nest - how can it be that a forest containing them is not protected and can be chopped down? Yet that, unfortunately, is the current state of affairs, as far as the law is concerned, here in Wales. Because while a felling licence is required to harvest timber or fell trees in private woodland in Wales, it's a scandal that such licences cannot be refused if they cause habitat loss and red squirrel population decline. And, of course, Government-owned forests, they do not require a licence, but they are managed under 10-year plans. Regrettably, there is no obligation whatsoever to update or refresh those plans to take note of the actual squirrel population on an annual basis and where it's nesting within those forests. And as a result of that, we now face an incredible challenge of seeing in parts of Wales trees being felled, or planned to be felled, which could result in the setting back of these enormous conservation efforts that we've seen. And let's give you an example of how the current arrangements are failing in that regard: Pentraeth forest on Ynys Môn. And I know that Rhun ap Iorwerth will be familiar with this challenge. It is a red squirrel stronghold - one of the few strongholds in Wales. Yet Natural Resources Wales has given permission for a felling operation that is going to be based on the outdated data on the local squirrel population, which is over 10 years old, and, worse still, it's going to allow the felling operation to take place during the red squirrel breeding season. So, while a new generation of this endangered species are settling down into their nests, the trees, which hold those nests, will be chopped down. And this is not a small area of woodland being torn down; it's 17 acres - 6,500 tonnes of timber - worth of prime red squirrel habitat that is going to be destroyed. And we must remember that this is at a time when, quite rightly, the Welsh Government is decrying global deforestation and encouraging every household in Wales to plant a tree. So, we can't allow this situation to persist. We've got to take action now if we're going to see this species continue to rebound. Yes, we need to address the shortcomings of the Forestry Act 1967. That work has already been done in Scotland, so we have a template that we can pick up and apply here in Wales. We need a clear timescale for that work to be achieved. And I'm pleased very much that the Welsh Government has started the work on planning for that legislation to change. But we also need some work to be done on ensuring that these 10-year plans are updated on a much more frequent basis so that we can protect the wildlife populations - not just the red squirrel, but other important wildlife species as well - in forests that are state-owned and state-run across the country. So, on behalf of this small, but incredibly super furry animal, I want to encourage everybody to back the petition that's called for these changes to be made today, and I look forward to hearing further contributions.
Welsh: Diolch, Lywydd. Ac fel hyrwyddwr rhywogaeth y wiwer goch yn y Senedd, rwy'n falch iawn o weld bod y ddadl hon wedi'i chyflwyno gan y Pwyllgor Deisebau. A chyn i mi fynd ymhellach, mae'n rhaid imi ddatgan buddiant yn y ddadl hon fel aelod anrhydeddus o Ymddiriedolaeth Gwiwerod Coch Cymru ac yn wir fel aelod o Ymddiriedolaeth Gwiwerod Coch Clocaenog hefyd. A hoffwn dalu teyrnged i waith anhygoel y prif ddeisebydd, Dr Craig Shuttleworth, am drefnu'r ddeiseb, a'r gwaith anhygoel y mae'n ei wneud, o ddydd i ddydd, yn arwain ymdrechion cadwraeth gwiwerod coch ledled y wlad. Nid ef yw'r unig un, wrth gwrs - mae'r Ymddiriedolaeth Gwiwerod Coch, Ymddiriedolaeth Gwiwerod Coch Clocaenog, Sŵ Mynydd Cymru a byddin gyfan o bobl eraill, gan gynnwys llawer o wirfoddolwyr, yn rhoi eu hamser, eu hymdrech a'u hadnoddau i frwydro dros y 'super furry animals' hyn. Ers cael fy mhenodi'n hyrwyddwr rhywogaeth y wiwer goch yn ôl yn 2016, mae wedi bod yn wefr cael dysgu mwy am y rhywogaeth unigryw ac eiconig hon ac ymweld â llawer o'r prosiectau ledled Cymru a dysgu am yr ymdrechion sy'n cael eu gwneud i hybu ffyniant poblogaeth y wiwer goch a'i adfywio. Ers dros 10,000 o flynyddoedd, poblogaeth y wiwer goch oedd y boblogaeth fwyaf o wiwerod yma yng Nghymru. Ac nid yn unig hynny, roedd yn poblogi'r mwyafrif llethol o Ynysoedd Prydain. Ond gwyddom o'r hyn sydd eisoes wedi'i rannu heddiw fod y boblogaeth honno wedi lleihau'n sylweddol, ac mor ddiweddar â'r 1990au dim ond ychydig gannoedd o wiwerod coch oedd wedi'u gwasgaru ledled Cymru mewn pocedi poblogaeth bach, a oedd mewn perygl. Ond dyna'r adeg, cyn troad y mileniwm, y dechreuodd yr ymdrechion cadwraeth arwrol i adfywio'r rhywogaeth. A diolch i'r ymdrechion hyn, rwy'n falch o ddweud bod gan goedwig Clocaenog yn fy etholaeth i boblogaeth fach gynaliadwy, ond cynyddol o wiwerod coch. Yng nghanolbarth Cymru, rhyddhaodd Ymddiriedolaeth Bywyd Gwyllt Vincent belaod, ysglyfaethwr wiwerod llwyd, ac mae'r prosiect hwnnw, hyd yma, wedi llwyddo i roi hwb i niferoedd y boblogaeth yno. Ond yn fy marn i, o'r holl ymdrechion cadwraethol ar gyfer unrhyw anifail yng Nghymru, ar ynys Môn y gwelwyd y fuddugoliaeth fwyaf. Oherwydd, diolch i'w statws fel ynys, cafodd cynllun uchelgeisiol i gael gwared ar wiwerod llwyd ei greu, ac erbyn 2015, cyhoeddwyd bod Ynys Môn yn barth heb wiwerod llwyd. Ond mae'r holl ymdrechion hyn wedi'u tanseilio, a chawsant eu tanseilio oherwydd deddfwriaeth goedwigaeth hen ffasiwn, nad yw'n rhoi unrhyw ystyriaeth i boblogaethau bywyd gwyllt sydd mewn perygl. Sut y gall fod, er ei bod yn anghyfreithlon lladd neu anafu gwiwer goch neu darfu ar wiwer goch yn ei nyth - sut y gall fod nad yw coedwig sy'n eu cynnwys wedi'i gwarchod ac y gellir ei thorri? Ac eto, yn anffodus, dyna'r sefyllfa bresennol, o safbwynt y gyfraith, yma yng Nghymru. Oherwydd er bod angen trwydded gwympo coed i gynaeafu coed neu gwympo coed mewn coetir preifat yng Nghymru, mae'n sgandal na ellir gwrthod trwyddedau o'r fath os ydynt yn arwain at golli cynefin a dirywiad ym mhoblogaeth y wiwer goch. Ac wrth gwrs, nid oes angen trwydded ar goedwigoedd sy'n eiddo i'r Llywodraeth, ond cânt eu rheoli o dan gynlluniau 10 mlynedd. Yn anffodus, nid oes unrhyw rwymedigaeth o gwbl i ddiweddaru neu adnewyddu'r cynlluniau hynny i ystyried poblogaeth gwiwerod ar sail flynyddol a nodi lle maent yn nythu o fewn y coedwigoedd hynny. Ac o ganlyniad i hynny, rydym yn awr yn wynebu her anhygoel o weld coed mewn rhannau o Gymru yn cael eu torri, neu ceir bwriad i'w torri, a allai arwain at wrthdroi'r ymdrechion cadwraethol enfawr a welsom. A gadewch i mi roi enghraifft i chi o sut y mae'r trefniadau presennol yn methu yn hynny o beth: coedwig Pentraeth ar Ynys Môn. A gwn y bydd Rhun ap Iorwerth yn gyfarwydd â'r her hon. Mae'n gadarnle i'r wiwer goch - un o'r ychydig gadarnleoedd yng Nghymru. Ac eto, mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi rhoi caniatâd i waith cwympo coed a fydd yn seiliedig ar ddata hen ffasiwn ar boblogaeth gwiwerod yn lleol, sydd dros 10 mlwydd oed, ac yn waeth byth, bydd yn caniatáu i'r gwaith cwympo coed ddigwydd yn ystod tymor bridio'r wiwer goch. Felly, er bod cenhedlaeth newydd o'r rhywogaethau hyn sydd mewn perygl yn setlo yn eu nythod, bydd y coed, sy'n dal y nythod hynny, yn cael eu torri. Ac nid ardal fechan o goetir sy'n cael ei chwalu; mae'n 17 erw - gwerth 6,500 tunnell bren o gynefin o'r radd flaenaf i wiwerod coch sy'n mynd i gael ei ddinistrio. Ac mae'n rhaid inni gofio bod hyn yn digwydd ar adeg pan fo Llywodraeth Cymru, yn gwbl briodol, yn feirniadol o ddatgoedwigo byd-eang ac yn annog pob cartref yng Nghymru i blannu coeden. Felly, ni allwn ganiatáu i'r sefyllfa hon barhau. Mae'n rhaid inni weithredu yn awr os ydym eisiau gweld niferoedd y rhywogaeth hon yn parhau i wella. Oes, mae angen inni fynd i'r afael â diffygion Deddf Coedwigaeth 1967. Mae'r gwaith hwnnw eisoes wedi'i wneud yn yr Alban, felly mae gennym dempled y gallwn ei ddefnyddio a'i gymhwyso yma yng Nghymru. Mae arnom angen amserlen glir ar gyfer cyflawni'r gwaith hwnnw. Ac rwy'n falch iawn fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dechrau'r gwaith o gynllunio ar gyfer newid y ddeddfwriaeth honno. Ond mae angen gwneud gwaith hefyd i sicrhau bod y cynlluniau 10 mlynedd hyn yn cael eu diweddaru'n amlach o lawer fel y gallwn ddiogelu poblogaethau bywyd gwyllt - nid y wiwer goch yn unig, ond rhywogaethau bywyd gwyllt pwysig eraill hefyd - mewn coedwigoedd sy'n eiddo i'r wladwriaeth ac sy'n cael eu cynnal gan y wladwriaeth ledled y wlad. Felly, ar ran yr anifail bach, y 'super furry animal' hwn, rwyf am annog pawb i gefnogi'r ddeiseb sydd wedi galw am wneud y newidiadau hyn heddiw, ac edrychaf ymlaen at glywed cyfraniadau pellach.