A PETITION calling on the Welsh government to withdraw its proposals to open up Cardigan Bay to scallop dredging has been signed by over 27,000 people.

Talybont protester Mick Green of Whale and Dolphin Conservation said the support shows the level of opposition to the proposals, which would see a larger area of the bay open to scallop dredging in season.

“We are delighted so many people support our view that the current proposal to open up protected areas to scallop dredging is wrong,” Mr Green said.

“We hope that the Welsh Government will take notice of the high level of opposition to these proposals and withdraw them.”

“We also hope that the level of support we have had will persuade the Welsh Government to properly address our concerns that we have been trying to discuss with them for years with little response”.

The coastal waters, closed in 2009 following concerns that excessive dredging was harming the future of the fishery and having an adverse impact on other marine life, are home to bottle­nose dolphins and porpoises.

Environment and tourist groups have warned that the return of larger-scale scallop dredging will harm sealife and damage a “vit­ally important aspect” of the county’s tourism.

Scallops are landed at Aberystwyth harbour. Last week there were four pallets stacked high with thousands of scallops packed up in sacks.

A report by the Welsh Government into the plans said that Cardigan Bay supports a “high abundance of king scallops” and “historically had been subject to a lucrative scallop fishery for many years”.