A ban on cod fishing will "decimate" the remaining fishing fleet in the north east, trawlermen have warned.

European scientists want to stop cod fishing in the North and Irish Seas to preserve stocks, which are said to be close to collapse.

But industry leaders on Tyneside and Teesside are warning EU fisheries minister Franz Fischler that what is left of the region's trawler fleet will go as a result.

Fishermen are due to find out on Monday if a complete ban on cod fishing is to be introduced.

'Sweeping methods'

North East Trawlers Society leader Dave Horsley says a complete cod ban will destroy the area's entire fishing industry.

Mr Horsley says large trawling companies should stop sweeping the seas, leaving small independent vessels to continue making a living.

He said: "If these sweeping methods of fishing were stopped then we believe the industry could be revived.

"But until someone steps forward and makes the case properly I can't see people like me who have small boats ever making a living again."

'Failure'

Trawlermen have received support from the World Wildlife Fund's Fisheries Campaign, which claims the current crisis in cod stocks is down to the European Union ignoring years of scientific warnings.

A spokesman said: "The threat of a total ban on cod fishing is the result of the collective failure of the European Union's Fisheries Ministers to agree a recovery plan for cod.

"Politicians should get out of setting annual quotas.

"Fishermen need long-term planning based on multi-annual management plans such as those proposed by the European commission with recovery plans for all threatened fish stocks."