EU fishing quotas deal agreed

The annual negotiation on next year's catch quotas ended with agreement which partially offsets further cutbacks in fishing effort by drawing the trawlermen themselves into the long-term revival of dwindling stocks of cod.

The deal also delivers the first significant rewards after years of belt-tightening - an 11% increase in permitted North Sea cod catches in 2008 to reflect a scientifically-acknowledged upturn in cod numbers.

But elsewhere - off the West of Scotland and in the Irish Sea - fishermen must absorb yet more cod fishing reductions of up to 25%. And they face reduced "fishing effort" - the number of days at sea - as part of the deal.

But the UK plan to boost fishing fortunes, discussed with the industry first and put on the table by UK fisheries minister Jonathan Shaw, allows vessels taking part in the new monitoring scheme to "earn" more time out of port.

Mr Shaw said afterwards that the final deal was a fair one for the UK and made a start at tackling the "immoral" dumping of dead fish back in the sea.

The talks approved a plan which enables fishermen to adopt "tailor-made measures" which work best for them.

The talks backed the idea of establishing "real-time closures" of depleted fishing grounds - the temporary shutting-down of waters where fishermen report a preponderance of young cod fish which need to be preserved as part of long-term recovery plans.

Relying on immediate evidence from the fleets as they work means boats can be directed towards more lucrative waters and moves to protect juvenile fish triggered swiftly.

Crews taking part will be spared some of the extra 10% reduction in fishing effort called for by the European Commission as part of next year's catch allowance terms. A joint UK-Ireland initiative in the Irish Sea aimed at improving understanding of the state of stocks and avoiding "discards" - dumping of unwanted fish - will also allow participating boats to earn extra days at sea.