NEW Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw yesterday stepped into the war of words between scientists and trawlermen, and pledged to try to "bridge the gap".

The Government is spending £1m in an effort to get the two sides to reach a better understanding of each other's position over fish stocks.

The scientists say that cod in the North Sea are on the brink of extinction and want fishing banned until the population recovers.

But the fishermen say the science is flawed and that rather than disappearing, stocks are at healthy levels.

Yesterday, Mr Bradshaw visited the North Yorkshire ports of Whitby and Scarborough to hear the views of fishermen, who fear their livelihoods are being put in jeopardy.

He said: "The biggest challenge is to try to bridge the enormous gulf that exists between the fishermen and the scientists.

"Politicians cannot ignore the scientists, and the danger here is we repeat the mistake made off Newfoundland in Canada.

"There, they once had some of the best cod fishing in the world, but that fishery has now been destroyed because of over-use.

"Everybody wants a viable future for our fishing industry, but it has to be based on sustainability."

In an effort to broker a peace between fishermen and the scientists, his department is investing in a scheme that puts them on each others' ships when they go to sea.

The Government also plans to spend almost £60m this year, most of it in Scotland, on a decommissioning scheme as fishing restrictions are brought into force.

One of the leaders of the fishermen on the Yorkshire coast, skipper Fred Normandale, was among those who met Mr Bradshaw yesterday.

He said: "He is new to the job at the moment and he is listening to what we have to say.

"But how much power he will be able to wield with Europe on our behalf remains to be seen.

"He seems to be genuinely interested and I wish him well, but the work of the scientists is flawed and until they listen to us, the future of the industry looks very bleak indeed."