Fishermen from across Kent have called on political parties to give them a chance with a pilot scheme to save the county’s fishing industry.

The evening was hosted by Ukip and chaired by Kent MEP and Folkestone and Hythe candidate Janice Atkinson in controversial circumstances.

Protestors were leafleting outside the meeting at Folkestone’s Southcliff Hotel on The Leas criticising the party for seeking political gains by “pretending to care about fishing because they want your vote”.

Debate ensued in the run up to the meeting with one of the speakers, Steve Barratt of the Thanet Fisherman’s Association (TFA), forced to apologise over comments he made in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris on Wednesday.

Mr Barratt had been due to speak but was replaced at the last minute by TFA chairman John Nichols.

Mr Nichols modestly apologised to the audience for any potential lack of preparation as he had not expected to be speaking but rather sitting watching amongst the public.

He was joined by Paul Gilson of the National Federation of Fishermans Organisation, Terry Noakes of the Folkestone Trawlers and Ray Finch MEP, Ukip fisheries spokesman.

All the speakers agreed that the fishing industry would be best served by leaving the European Union and the Common Fisheries Policy enforced upon Britain.

"I’m here tonight because although politics is part of fishing, fishermen want to fish and we have to look at what’s achievable." John Nichols, chairman Thanet Fisherman's Association

Mr Nichols said: “We are where we are today because of the quota system.

“There’s not one fisherman that supports discards, it’s a waste of food, and that’s a by-product of quotas.

“The fishermen of Kent have devised a system and what we’re asking for is something achievable and I’m here tonight on a Ukip platform, and it could be a Conservative, Labour or Liberal one, because although politics is part of fishing, fishermen want to fish and we have to look at what’s achievable.

“We want to land everything we catch. We see coming out of Europe as achievable.

“People say we don’t have to do it, but it’s a way of life.

“Monthly or quarterly quotas result in a race [among fishermen] so if I leave it later, I won’t have anything if someone else has gone out and caught it.

“I would ask Ukip and any of the major parties and put some schemes in and to let us pilot them.”

Protest group, Folkestone United published an open letter, querying the “hastily arranged” nature of the meeting adding that Ukip don’t have a “great track record in this area”.

They brought party leader Nigel Farage’s attendance record at the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee over the last three years into question.

They say Mr Farage attended just one out of a possible 42 meetings.

Meanwhile, Ray Finch, the party’s fisheries spokesman, who also spoke at the meeting, admitted he no longer attended the committee meetings.

Ms Atkinson said she was wearing her MEP hat adding: “I was approached by the fishermen across Thanet and Folkestone about six weeks ago. This wasn’t hastily arranged.

"You are being told all the time there’s no fish and it’s a lie." Paul Gilson of the National Federation of Fishermans Organisation

“Fishing is a vital industry so lets take control back of our industry and that’s by leaving the EU.”

She attacked Folkestone United – an anti-Ukip protest group which says it campaigns “against UKIP and all forms of bigotry and xenophobia" - which she said she believed is made up of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green supporters, for protesting the public meeting and writing an open letter condemning Ukip.

She added: “It’s only because they [the other parties] have nothing to say.”

Paul Gilson of the National Federation of Fishermans Organisation said: “You are being told all the time there’s no fish and it’s a lie.

“Plaice are now increasing so much that they are beginning to dominate other stocks. We’ve more skate here in the south coast probably since the war.

“Most of us don’t want a free fishery. It’s stupid. None of us over-fish, we want a future.”

He added that the Whitstable wind farm had had a profound effect on cod fishing off Kent, which used to be one of the most plentiful areas in the country.

He attacked the government’s defence that trawler nets caused disruption to the grounds when tonnes of rocks had been placed to “keep the turbines in place” to create artificial reefs.