The European Commission has announced proposals to close depleted cod fishing grounds in the North Sea, the Irish Sea and off the west of Scotland.
The recommendations include a closure of a 1,500 square mile area to all cod fishing off the south coast of Ireland. The proposals fall short of the recommendations for a blanket ban on cod fishing by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES).
European fishermen are to be asked to reduce their catch by 60 per cent for herring, 34 per cent for cod and 27 per cent for mackeral.
Mr Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs said: "The proposals seek to strike the balance between what is biologically essential for recovery of fishing stocks and what is economically reasonable for the fishing fleet."