Fishing is our future

nOrWay has said it will stop British and eU vessels fishing in its waters from January 1. This means the eU fleet will have nowhere to fish except in its own waters, therefore helping the British negotiations.

The eU said we could have the waters back, but not the fish, which shows the type of people we are dealing with. Our fleet is a fraction of the size it was 50 years ago, but now is the time to correct it.

i was a trawler owner in fleetwood, Lancs, when the then Prime Minister edward Heath told us we had nothing to fear in joining the eU. Weeks later he gave away our fishing

rights. In the referendum, the country voted to correct this.

In the 1970s, Hull was the biggest fishing port in the world, followed by Grimsby, Fleetwood, Aberdeen, Peterhead and Fraserburgh.

Grimsby and Hull were the largest frozen fish processors in Britain. Today, they are supplied with fish from Iceland and Norway. They would jump at the chance to buy fish from British vessels.

To find the capital to revive our trawler fleet, I suggest a fishing licence for foreign trawlers, but not British boats. The money raised could be used to build fishing vessels and help finance fishery protection vessels.

In the 1950s, I owned four trawlers and there were more than 130 based in Fleetwood. Now there are just a few inshore boats.

Fleetwood and Grimsby are depressed areas. After nearly 50 years, they have still not got over losing the fishing industry. We must give people back their dignity. JAMES WILSON, Ferndown, Dorset.