Old Portsmouth's fish markets are normally a hub of activity, with fishermen launching early in the morning and bringing back their catch to be sold.

But gale force winds in the Solent and English Channel have grounded the city's fishing fleet for almost all of the past three weeks. As a result, stocks of fish are running low, and prices are rising by up to £2 per kilo.

Fisherman Kevin Cross yesterday faced another day on dry land.

He took advantage of the opportunity to fix his nets, but admitted he and other boat owners were counting the cost of the bad weather.

He said: 'I've only been able to go out one day in the past three weeks because the weather's so bad.

'It's bad news because this is where our money's from. If we can't bring in fish, we don't earn anything. At Christmas time that's even worse than it would be normally.'

Mr Cross, who lives in Portsmouth, would normally take his boat Providing Star out for three to four days at a time, and return with half a ton or more of sole, plaice and skate.

Instead, he has to wait for the weather to change.

He said: 'It's a shame because it's not been a bad year so far and it's ironic because wintry weather's usually a good thing. It churns the sea up, darkens it and means there's plenty for the fish to eat, so catches are better.

'It's normally a good time for us, but we can't do anything but wait for conditions to improve, and make sure we're ready when they do.'

At Viviers fish market in Gunwharf Road, company secretary Angela Lane said: 'Because the boats aren't going out, stocks are running low.

'We sell at Billingsgate in London and sometimes if stocks are bad in Portsmouth we can buy from there but things are no better there.'

At Johnson's Enterprises on Camber Quay, market assistant Dave Cox, said prices were increasing for bass, plaice, red mullet, wild black bream, whiting and grey mullet.

'In some cases we're having to put our prices up a couple of quid a kilo,' he said.

'We'd normally have fishermen going oystering now, too, but they can't get out. It's a short season and those stocks won't be caught.'

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