East Anglian fisherman mounts a legal challenge against the Department of the Environment.

A David and Goliath court case will open this month when a lone East Anglian fisherman mounts a legal challenge against the Department of the Environment.

King's Lynn boat skipper David Bryant claims the shrimp population in the Wash is being severely reduced by government-sanctioned dredging operations which threaten his livelihood. Norfolk firm Hawkins is fighting for Bryant, whose application for judicial review will be heard at the High Court later this month.

Dredgers are taking aggregate from the Wash seabed to rebuild parts of the Lincolnshire coastline. But, according to Hawkins assistant solicitor Graham Cooper: "The dredging has created a sediment that poses a threat to the shrimp's natural environment - bad news for the fishing community."

Bryant, represented in court by Stephen Hockman QC of 6 Pump Court, is supported by the King's Lynn Fishing Co-op.