Ceredigion's Welsh Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams has today hosted a scallop dredging summit in Aberystwyth. The summit was led by Ceredigion's MP and gave local representatives and concerned residents the opportunity to discuss their worries with the Minister of State for Wales Wayne David MP. Also in attendance were Welsh Assembly Mid & West Wales Regional Assembly Members Alun Davis and Joyce Watson along with five Ceredigion County Councillors representing Penparcau, Aberaeron, New Quay, Llangrannog and Cardigan.

A lively and passionate discussion, chaired by Mark WIlliams MP, saw representatives from the Countryside Council for Wales, Cardigan Bay SAC, Save Our Seas, the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee and the Welsh Federation of Fishermans Association all give their opinions on the future of scallop dredging in Cardigan Bay to the Minister of State in Aberystwyth University's Old College.

After the summit, Mark Williams MP said: "The concerns about scallop dredging and the future of sutainable fishing in Cardigan Bay has been a big issue in recent months. I therefore wanted to bring the Minister of State to Aberystwyth to talk and to listen, face-to-face, with local representatives from the fishing industry and from conservation groups about their concerns. I was very pleased that Wayne David MP agreed to my request in the Welsh Grand Committee to do this and today's discussion gave him a much better insight into the difficulties that local fishermen are experiencing in Cardigan Bay and the real concerns of local conservationists.

"The discussion was impassioned but also very courteous and well informed. What was clear was that that all present were deeply concerned about the need for a sustainable future for Cardigan Bay. I know that the Minister was thankful for the contribution of all who came and I hope that we can now move forward, with support from the Welsh Assembly Government as well as the Government in London, towards a sustainable policy for Cardigan Bay which rightly balances the economic needs of our local fishermen with the concerns for the the eco-life in the Bay".