The European Commission has said that it has no wish to cut jobs in the fishing industry, but that fish stocks would disappear completely unless the European fishing fleet was cut.
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Speaking in Spain this morning, Mr Franz Fischler, EU commissioner with responsibility for fisheries, said reform of the industry was essential if the industry was to survive.
Mr Fischler was justifying proposals to cut the number of fishing boats in Europe by 8,600 and to cut subsidies for building or upgrading boats.
Presenting the reform proposals for the common fisheries policy (CFP) in Madrid, Mr Fischler said the Commission derived no pleasure whatsoever from voicing the harsh truth that the EU fishing fleet is too big.
"It is totally short-sighted to accuse the Commission of wishing to destroy jobs. Although in the short term the necessary reduction in fishing effort will lead to a reduction in employment, in the long term it is the only way to safeguard jobs in the fishing industry," he said.
" . . .If instead of changing the Common Fisheries Policy(CFP) we bury our heads in the sand and ignore the problem, our fishing industry will suffer death by a thousand cuts."
Mr Fischler called on all parties involved to get back to a discussion of real content and to base their criticisms on facts in the interests of a sensible dialogue.