Fishermen have been celebrating after securing a compensation deal worth tens of thousands of pounds from the developer of a superport at Shell Haven in Corringham.
The Southend and Leigh Fishermen's Association was worried that the P&O port would damage fishing in the estuary.
Work to create the port involves dredging the seabed in the river, disturbing the fish's feeding grounds and damaging fishing in the area.
However, fishermen are delighted with the deal struck with P&O and Shell Haven which will compensate them for losing business while work is in process, and will help them rebuild the industry afterwards.
Association chairman Darryl Godbold, of Canvey, said: "We were very worried. P&O and Shell Haven were going to dredge the river when they built their superport and that would impose on the fishing in the estuary.
"However, now we have got substantial compensation packages in monetary terms which will compensate for fishermen's loss of earnings during the time the dredging is being carried out."
But Mr Godbold remained tightlipped about the amount of cash being handed out to the fishermen, although it is believed to run into tens of thousands of pounds.
A spokeswoman for P&O said: "We continue to make progress in agreeing disturbance recompense with potentially affected fishermen."
Published Friday September 10, 2004
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