A NEW fish farm could be created in the Thames in a bid to reverse a collapse in sole stocks.

The proposal was suggested at high-level talks over declining fish stocks attended by fishermen, scientists, public bodies and the owners of the £1.5billion London Gateway port.

The artificial breeding ground for sole was mooted as a potential solution after catches fell by more than half in two years.

John Lamb, chairman of the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, said: “There does not seem to be a straightforward solution to what seems a complex problem, however there is a lot of good will to create an effective partnership and a project to address these important issues.”

Fishermen have suggested the decline in fish stocks may be down to the dredging of a channel down the Thames so the world’s largest container ships can reach the London Gateway.

However, DP World, owner of the port, has pointed to other possible causes for the collapse, including new fishing techniques, and the Thames being inundated with fresh water after heavy rain.

The Thames Estuary Partnership has offered to draw up proposals for an independent project to crunch data provided by more than 20 delegates who attended the meeting.

But fishermen who claim they are facing financial ruin were left disappointed by the lack of urgency.

Paul Gilson, co-chairman of Leigh and Southend Fishermen’s Association and vice-chairman for South East England of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said: “Where we go from here I don’t know. I feel it was very disappointing.”

A spokesman for the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries said: “There was a general consensus that an independent project needed to be developed to draw together and analyse the wide range of data.

“More immediate actions to try and address the specific issue of Dover sole were also discussed, with the potential of a Dover sole hatchery being put forward as a potential option.”