FISH landings on the Yorkshire and North-East coast are being hit by an increase in the sea temperature caused by global warming, the industry has been told.

David McCandless, chief fishery officer for the North East Sea Fisheries Committee told Scarborough fishing industry leaders that in the past decade the temperature had risen one degree, which he said was significant.

"It is certainly a big factor in terms of cod spawning," he said.

But bass, which 30 years ago was non-existent in the area, was now being fished commercially.

He told a seminar for the fishing industry that the authority had invested £80,000 on improving the lobster stocks off the coast and it had resulted in more than a million being produced in a scheme which had been mainly funded by the European union.

Latest figures showed there had been a 15 per cent drop in white fish landings due to the warmer seas and a decline in fish numbers.

However, there has been a 23 per cent rise in shellfish landed, he added. There had also been an 18 per cent rise in lobster landings.

Landings of crab had also gone up 23 per cent in the past year.

The number of boats being used for potting - catching shellfish - now outnumbered the traditional trawlers and keel boats.