Fishermen refused compensation

WILLIAM Waldegrave, the Minister of Agriculture, cut short his holiday yesterday to meet Mike Townsend, chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation, but refused to agree to his demand for compensation for nets damaged by Spanish fishermen in the 'tuna wars'.

The minister said: 'It is wrong if foreign governments thought it didn't much matter what they did to British ships because the British government would end up paying.' However, he pledged the Government to pursue claims against the Spanish 'with great vigour'. He added that it was vital the Royal Navy and the fishermen played on the same team.