A FISHERMAN in Leigh has suggested part of the plastic problem in our oceans could be solved by the industry and help provide an additional income.

Paul Gilson, who has been fishing the area for the last 47 years, claims they could scoop up plastics using the same trawlers and nets they use to fish, and the Government could pay them to do so.

He presented his idea to Therese Coffey, parliamentary under secretary of state at Defra, who was in Southend and Rayleigh on Saturday.

He said: “She was taken aback that we fishermen could do it.

“It wasn’t the sort of thing she was expecting to hear.”

The 63-year-old said: “We have nets to fish the plastic, and where there are two tides, you get a wall where lines of plastic bags build up. The plastics problem is so big, it’s hard to understand why nobody has thought about this before. But sometimes, you have to think outside the box.”

Government grants could be used to fund it and with changing waters due to electrical cables he said the money would be useful.

“We have to have electricity from Europe and we are building huge cables to do this, going to the Isle of Grain,” he explained. “Obviously, such long cables are expensive and the shortest route for them is best.

“Unfortunately, that means they go across the best fishing grounds.

“The seabed moves over time, which leaves them exposed and they then put a pile of rocks there to protect them. But that means the environment changes from muddy to rocky, which changes the biodiversity of the estuary.

“Dover soles are not keen on rocks, they like a nice muddy seabed to hide in.”

Last year, fishermen were only permitted to fish for cockles for 28 days, and Mr Gilson claims there was no shortage of them, but the cockles being caught were too small. “They were not growing because there was a shortage of food across the Thames. “That’s a worry, and we asked Theresa to look into it.”

Mrs Coffey was met by a number of community representatives during her visit ahead of the upcoming elections.

Conservative Councillor Alex Bright, of Southchurch ward, arranged Mrs Coffey’s visit to Southend and explained that Sir David Aimes, MP for Southend West, was also present.

He said: “Thérèse Coffey came down for a tour of Southend and Rochford ahead of the local elections.

“She wanted to get an understanding of the challenges that fishermen face.

“She also visited a piece of land being developed for housing at the Garrison, where work has to be done on the flood defences.”

Remaining fishermen are also waiting to find out the result of Brexit negotiations.