Fishermen in England have been awarded a �6.4m aid package by the government to help offset the cost of new cod quotas.

The aid will be split between the fleets at Bridlington, Whitby, North Shields, Grimsby and Lowestoft on the east coast of England and the Irish Sea port of Fleetwood.

Most of the money will go towards decommissioning ships as the fishing industry attempts to fall into line with European Union (EU) regulations aimed at protecting diminishing cod stocks.

However, fishing industry leaders believe scientists have under-estimated the number of fish in British waters.

Six ports will receive government aid

Announcing the package on Tuesday, Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley said: "The very poor state of North Sea cod stocks led December's EU Fisheries Council to agree emergency measures including a restriction on days at sea and quota cuts.

"Many fishermen will be able to continue to operate under the new rules but I recognise that the constraints are real and that some coastal fisheries communities may be hit.

"Today's aid package will promote long-term sustainability for the industry, in the face of sharply diminished catching opportunities."

The aid is made up of �5m to fund voluntary decommissioning of boats and a further �400,000 to help pay for compulsory satellite tracking equipment.

An additional �1m has been allocated to fund joint projects between fishermen and scientists.

Total ban

Representatives of the fishing industry are meeting Tony Blair at Downing Street on Tuesday to discuss ways of protecting stocks in the North and Irish Seas.

Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, said: "We think it is necessary that there is a package of aid because many vessels will not be viable under the impact of the measures agreed in December (by the EU).

"But having said that, the package is reactive and does not offer a route map for the future which is what is desperately required.

"There is no guarantee that we won't have a repeat of this crisis with other stocks in other areas."

The crisis came to a head before Christmas when EU fisheries ministers meeting in Brussels rejected the latest scientific advice which recommended a total ban on all fishing for cod in the North and Irish Seas.

Instead, ministers backed quota cuts of 45% for cod and restrictions on the number of days (16 per month) spent fishing at sea.