You have done an amazing job! Thanks to you all we have been able to force DEFRA to reconsider the trade in elvers to Russia and examine a lot of new evidence that we were able to produce about the nature of the trade. To get to this point is a great conservation success.

The minister is very slow to reassess the trade and to announce his decision, but I have little doubt that no more elvers will be sent to Russia and that the Severn elver men can adapt to fishing for conservation and restocking in the UK and we can start seriously restoring our rivers.

The exporter keeps raising objections to the petition, and while I could answer every one of his points I feel the petition has done its job. The aim all along was to get the trade reconsidered, and we have achieved that. If I decide that I have better things to do, please be assured that I stand by the petition and could answer all his points if I wished. I may  yet do that, but for now I'll sleep on the decision.