Leaving the European Union will create a "sea of opportunity" for the UK fishing industry, the new Environment Secretary Michael Gove has said.

Brexit will enable the industry to "dramatically increase" the amount of fish caught and set a "far more sensible, environmentally wise policy", Mr Gove said.

He said he didn't think anyone envisaged anything other than a free trade arrangement between Britain and the European Union, and that it is clearly in the EU 27's interests to come to a deal.

West Cumbria's fishing industry is focused around the coasts major towns of Maryport, Workington and Whitehaven. There is also an industry in the Furness peninsula, near Morecambe Bay.

With Brexit negotiations having just got under way, the UK Government minister is visiting Peterhead, in north-east Scotland, on Friday to speak to key figures from the fishing industry.

Mr Gove told BBC Good Morning Scotland: "There is a sea of opportunity for us out there as we leave the European Union.

"I don't think anyone envisages anything other than a free trade arrangement between Britain and the European Union.

"No deal is indeed better than a bad deal, but I think that, because we have a trade deficit with the European Union, because they sell more to us than we sell to them not just in agriculture but also in other manufactured goods as well, it's clearly in the EU 27's interests to come to a deal, but more than that, it's in our interests to be able to dramatically increase the amount of fish that we catch.

"We can do so because once we take back control of our territorial waters, we can decide who comes here, we can decide on what terms and we can also have a far more sensible, environmentally wise policy which enables us to conserve and grow the stock of an amazing renewable resource."

He said that leaving the EU allows the UK to set higher environmental standards and reap additional economic benefits.

He told the BBC: "It's sometimes been the case, not just in fisheries but in agriculture and other areas, that people have tried to suggest that high environmental standards work against economic success.

"The two go together and the European Union has inhibited our ability to make sure that we get the right economic and the right environmental results."

The Queen's Speech, setting out the Government's priorities for the next two years, includes legislation on both fisheries and agriculture in the wake of Brexit.

The UK Government has pledged a period of engagement on the Fisheries Bill starting this summer, involving the devolved administrations, fishermen, trade organisations, fish processors and others.