The Government's Sea Fish Industry Authority, stated there must be huge increases in the price of staple fish species in the coming 12 to 18 months if the industry is to survive.

The authority maintains that consumers must be prepared to pay up to 50% more to save the country's fishing fleets.

Diesel has increased in price from 30p to 59p a litre during the past year, causing an average 23% increase in the cost of getting fish to market.

Chippies in Whitby are struggling to keep their prices as low as possible but warn that it may not be possible to continue the policy.

Ian Robson, of The Magpie, said: "We've managed to absorb the increased costs up to now but if they continue to rise then we'll have to review it."

Fish and chips to take away at the world famous Magpie Cafe in Pier Road cost £5.40 with prices to eat inside starting at £7.95.

The Magpie's head chef Paul Gildroy added: "I sympathise with the fishermen but if you put up the price of fish too much the customers won't have it.

"We're paying a high price as it is but if we start doing less business we would have to look at cutting our overheads which could mean a loss of jobs."

A spokesman for Silver Street Fisheries, where a takeaway costs £4.20, said: "We were charging £4 last year so we've only had to put them up by 20p but I don't know what's going to happen over the summer – and we're still probably the cheapest in town.

"All the costs are going through the roof as well as the fish – electricity, gas and even packaging but we try to make sure we give good quality at a fair price."

At Sacky's Chippy in Langborne Road a spokesman said: "I've had to put up prices by 30p to 40p but I'm trying to keep them down as far as possible.

"But fat has gone up three times recently, batter's up – it's everything.

"I charge £4.50 for cod or haddock and chips to take away and £6.45 to eat inside with a pensioners' special of £4.95."

Dave Winspear of Alliance Fish, one of the top men in the town's fishing industry, told the Whitby Gazette: "We sell our catches through the auction so we're subject to market prices.

"It's a case of supply and demand but the final demand is from the housewife and she won't pay double the price.

"Fish prices haven't gone up significantly in the past 10 years but there is competition from cheap imports from places like Iceland and Norway where there isn't the same tax on fuel.

"The crippling cost of fuel is an EU problem and we're lobbying MPs, MEPs and Brussels to cut the tax on fuel substantially.

"We also suffer the problem of cuts in the whiting quotas – half of Whitby trawlers' catches are whiting."