Mr Campbell said the best solution was limiting the number of days boats could go to sea. Euro-MP Chris Davies, the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman in the European Parliament, said the proposed cuts in fishing quotas did not go far enough. He feared that cod could be wiped out in the seas around Britain. Ministers should have accepted the need to close entire fishing grounds to allow the fish to breed and their numbers recover. Britain's favourite meal of cod and chips is close to being destroyed forever.
History offers little comfort.
The Grand Banks off Newfoundland were once one of the most prolific fisheries in the world. But, after repeated warnings from environmentalists, the cod stocks there finally collapsed and the fishery was closed in 1992. It was estimated that the cod would return within three years. But eight years later, they have still not come back. It is thought that their environmental niche may have been taken over by other species.