Brussels proposes scrapping thousands of trawlers to save dwindling fish stocks

The European Commission set itself on a collision course with national governments yesterday when it unveiled radical plans to limit fishing.

The Commission set out the biggest reform of fishing policy in 30 years to try to save many species from extinction. It proposed cutting fishing activity by up to 60 per cent, reducing the EU fishing fleet by 8,600 boats and ending subsidies for new vessels.

Franz Fischler, the European fisheries commissioner, warned it was "make or break time". He said: "Either we make bold reforms now, or we watch the demise of our fisheries sector. The desperate race for fish has to stop."

The Commission wants to end the horse-trading that has EU ministers sitting up all night once a year trying to increase their fishing quotas. Instead, it wants advice from scientists to dictate the amount of fish caught, with targets set over several years.

"The Commission is determined to end the yearly setting of fishing quotas at unrealistic levels. We want to see a long-term approach, allowing the dwindling stocks to recover and giving fishermen more stability to plan ahead," Mr Fischler said.

Experts have warned for years that some of Europe's most popular fish, including cod, haddock and hake, are at dangerously low levels.

But the Commission faces an uphill struggle to have the reforms approved by EU countries. Spain, France, Italy and Portugal are opposed to the plans, which they say would lead to thousands of job losses.

Jose Maria Aznar, Spain's Prime Minister, recently telephoned Romano Prodi, the Commission president, to protest. His intervention earlier this month, followed by the departure of the top official leading the reforms, has triggered accusations of meddling. Members of the European Parliament demanded a public inquiry into the allegations.

Spain has the biggest fishing fleet in Europe and takes the biggest share of the EU's €600m fishing subsidies.

Loyola de Palacio, the European commissioner for transport and a former Spanish fisheries minister, told Mr Fischler in a letter the plan was badly thought out and would not work. "These are brutal decisions which forget the conditions of life and work of our fishermen and do not contribute to the protection of fish species," she wrote. She accused some Nordic member states of industrial fishing, with "devastating effects".

Luis Frazao Gomes, the Portuguese Fisheries minister, said the reforms would destroy the livelihoods of Portuguese fishermen and women.

Mr Prodi endorsed the plans announced yesterday, saying they demonstrated that "the Commission acts in the common European interest".

Elliot Morley, Britain's Fisheries minister, also welcomed the proposals. He said: "This long-anticipated review comes not a moment too soon."

The proposals must be approved by the European Parliament and a majority of EU member states before they come into law and could well be watered down in the process.

They call for the amount of time fishing vessels spend at sea to be cut by up to 60 per cent; the EU fishing fleet to be reduced by 8,600 vessels; and EU subsidies to upgrade old boats or build new ones to be ended. A fund worth €460m (£293m) should be set up to encourage fishermen and women to retire, diversify into fish farming or find other jobs; annual political horse-trading over quotas should be replaced with longer-term targets based on scientific advice; and tougher inspection teams should be set up to tackle illegal fishing thought to be putting species in danger.