SCALLOP DREDGING IN CARDIGAN BAY

That this House notes with concern the considerable environmental damage to the seabed that can be caused by scallop dredging; recognises the importance of a thriving marine environment to biodiversity and to sustainable fishing; further notes that Cardigan Bay is home to a wide variety of species, and parts of which have been designated as a Special Area of Conservation because of their importance to marine wildlife; applauds the decisions taken in recent years to ban scallop dredging in areas where there have been environmental concerns, such as the Isles of Scilly and Lyme Bay; acknowledges that these decisions have pushed scallop dredging elsewhere, including to Cardigan Bay; and urges the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee and the Welsh Assembly Government to bring forward restrictions that will protect Cardigan Bay's rich and varied marine environment from further damage.