Fishing 'disaster' warning

Fishermen have been forced to switch to haddock

Scottish fishermen are demanding urgent government action over claims that thousands of tons of young fish are being killed needlessly.

Fishermen say that conservation measures introduced last week to protect cod stocks have backfired.

They say they are now forced to fish in areas where 90% of the catch has to be thrown back.

Some are warning that there will be an "ecological disaster" unless fishermen can afford to tie up their boats and keep them in port.

Trevor Summers: "Ecological disaster"

Restrictions imposed mean that 40,000 square miles of the North Sea are off-limits to fishermen.

The ban imposed after meetings with the European Commission is designed to keep fishermen away from cod spawning grounds in a bid to revive dwindling numbers.

Cod is a key fish for the Scottish fishing industry, but some fishermen are warning that the ban puts them in a no-win situation.

Skipper Trevor Summers said he has seen nothing like it in 25 years at sea.

He filmed a catch taken off the Fair Isle where he had to throw back nine out of 10 fish - most of them dead.

Fishermen say they predicted this bitter harvest.

Many skippers are demanding a government-funded scheme to order the fleet back to port.

Fish dumped

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive said the loss of so many young fish was disturbing.

He urged fishermen to show restraint but said ministers were not convinced a scheme ordering vessels back to port was the best way forward.

They want other conservation measures.

However, fishermen like Trevor Summers say there is no time to spare.

During his last trip to sea he said his crew had to dump 300 tonnes of young fish.