Drastic cuts are to be made in the number of Royal Navy patrols guarding Britain's waters against illegal fishermen.

The Government plans to slash the number of patrol days to as few as 600 this year, down from 800 last year. The number of boats operated by the Fishery Protection Squadron (FPS) will also be cut from five to three.

Conservationists and fishermen warned that the move would lead to an explosion in so-called "black fishing", or the illegal catching of protected species, by both foreign and British boats.

The Telegraph - Read More .....