An increase in cargo ships anchoring in Mount's Bay has damaged thousands of pounds worth of fishing equipment and "annihilated" the sea bed – according to a fisherman who has warned he may be pushed in to bankruptcy.
Newlyn shellfish fisherman Jeremy Hosking has said the number of cargo ships anchoring in the bay in West Cornwall, which provides shelter in a strategically important location, has increased dramatically in the last six months.
He said thousands of pounds' worth of his and other fishermen's crab pots, which are placed on the sea bed, have been damaged beyond repair when the big ships, which are legally allowed to be there, drop anchor in the eastern end of the bay.
The Cornish Fish Producer's Organisation (CFPO), which represents some of the small fishing boats involved, has taken up the fight on behalf of the fishermen and enlisted support of St Ives MP Andrew George.
But the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) which is responsible for maritime safety, said there is little that can be done to stop boats anchoring free-of-charge, rather than within the Falmouth harbour limits where they would have to pay.
Mr Hosking, who skippers the Nazarene, said: "To be fair to the captains of the ship when I speak to them they are apologetic and ask where else they should go. From my point of view its just a misunderstanding but if I'm not careful it will bankrupt me. I had £500 worth of equipment destroyed on Saturday. I can't afford more losses like that. I lost £2,000 last year. The ships dropping anchor are going to totally annihilate the seabeds. What they should be doing is anchoring in a designated area, where the sea bed is already laid to waste."
Mr George said the situation needs to be resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible. He said: "There is a solution, it just requires the captains and masters of these ships to have some consideration and, if they do cause damage, pay the consequences."
Andy Wheeler, from the CFPO, said lines of communication need to be opened up.
Last year the MCA worked with the UK Hydrographic Office to put warnings about lobster pots on maps on the Lizard. A spokeswoman said it will continue to work with local authorities to highlight the position of the pots: "We have taken this matter seriously and have made what changes we can."
