A NUMBER of protestors gathered at reservoirs in mid and north Wales over the Bank Holiday weekend calling for an end of what they say is the exploitation of Wales’ natural resources.

YesCymru groups and supporters held a Day of Action on Bank Holiday Monday at Tryweryn and Lake Vyrnwy, Llanwddyn highlighting the exploitation of Wales’ most precious resource and commodity by the water corporations of England.

A number of groups and individuals from across north and mid Wales decided to organise the protest as a result of the petition instigated by YesCymru on Change.org last week.

The petition demands that the Senedd should have full control of Wales’s natural resources and has gathered over 7000 signatories in a few days.

By one calculation Wales’ present export of water to England, from the Elan Valley to Birmingham and from Lake Vyrnwy and Tryweryn to Liverpool, could be worth as much as £4.5 billion a year.

Geraint Thomas from YesCymru Bala said: “We as members decided to come here today to Tryweryn and Llanwddyn to draw attention to the fact that Wales’s most valuable resource and commodity is exploited by large corporations for the benefits of their shareholders.

“Any profits made from these waters should be re-invested in our communities not lining the pockets of board members based in the City of London. We will never benefit from our natural resources until we are a sovereign independent nation.

“The people of Wales have had enough of being taken for mugs. We urge everybody who cares about the future of our country to sign the petition.”

The petition was launched after Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission stated that communities in England did not want to drown their valleys, so Severn Trent and Thames Water were discussing ways to transfer water from Lake Vyrnwy via waterways and pipes to the Thames basin to alleviate their drought.