Fishermen in north Essex have welcomed a deal securing an increased fishing quota for the North Sea.

A European Union deal by fisheries ministers has led to a 30 per cent rise in the quota of North Sea cod and mackerel that may be caught.

UK Fisheries Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said the agreement would help British fishermen gain quota increases, and also serve to protect stocks and cut waste.

He said permission to land bigger hauls of some types of fish had been secured and a cut in prawn quotas had been smaller than feared.

Joss Wiggins, chief fishery officer at the Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries Committee, said: “Fishermen off Clacton have reported many more cod in the area than has been seen for many years, so obviously some that are caught have to be discarded because the fishermen don’t get enough quota.

“So this deal will hopefully help to relieve the problem of having to discard cod.

“We don’t have much mackerel fishing, but we have been pushing the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to allow a small amount of quota for local boats, so if there is more quota available will ask for some for inshore boats.

“Sole is one of our main species and we hope to get an increased quota in that.

“It all depends on how much of the quota will be allocated for smaller inshore boats as opposed to big offshore boats.”

Mr Wiggins added that local fishermen, who operate from Harwich, Walton, Clacton, Brightlingsea, Wivenhoe and West Mersea, are still fighting against Defra’s moves to cut down on the number of under ten-metre boats.