A storm of protest has been brewing over delays in reclaiming control of 200 miles of UK territorial waters.

Now, a Southend MP is among only a handful of Conservative backbenchers who have signed a letter of protest over UK fishing rights.

Britain is set to leave the European Union on March 2019. But, in fact, the EU will keep control of our abundant waters for at least, it is estimated, another 19 months until Brexit negotiations are totally over.

Yesterday former Ukip leader Nigel Farage helped dump a tray of haddock into the River Thames in a protest against the Brexit transition deal.

Some 14 of Prime Minister Theresa May’s parliamentary allies - 13 Conservatives and one DUP MP - have signed a joint letter denouncing the draft deal agreed by the Government this week.

Mrs May is hoping the deal will be signed off at a meeting of EU leaders for the European Council summit in Brussels today and tomorrow, clearing the way for crucial talks on post-Brexit trade to begin in earnest.

Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West is one of 14 MPs, including leading backbench Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, saying the proposal for Britain effectively to remain in the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy for almost two years after Brexit day with no say over the allocation of quotas, would not command the support of the Commons. They stated: “These demands are completely unacceptable and would be rejected by the House of Commons.”

Sir David said: “My purpose in signing the letter was to demonstrate to our European partners my resolve and that of other colleagues that part of the purpose of voting to leave the European Union was to leave the totally unfair Common Fisheries Policy.

“I share the fishing community’s disappointment that we will remain in the arrangement to the end of 2020, but I am looking for reassurance that at that point we will leave without any caveats.

Leigh fisherman Paul Gilson, 63, of Underwood Gardens, Leigh, joined Sir David at a meeting with George Eustace, environment minister responsible for fisheries. He told Mr Eustace taking back control of controversial quotas and fishing rights would be of paramount importance to the UK fishing industry.

He said: “We discussed Brexit and the opportunities that it will be giving to local fishermen. We talked about the abundance of skate and limited quota available to us. He said that he had recently obtained another 40 tons of quota for us and was working on getting more from other sources to help ease the problem.

“He didn’t realise how prolific this stock is. When I told him that one boat could catch that forty tons in a week’s fishing he was taken aback. I also pointed out that a controlled fishery was still better than a free for all. We have something good let us not waste or abuse it.”

The delicate ecosystem in our waters is coming under pressure from a number of sources according to Mr Gilson.

He said: “I expressed my concerns on the shortage of Dover sole coming into the Thames to spawn and the continued developments taking place within the Greater Thames. I told him how 370 wind turbines were changing the sea bed and another 30 were planned.”