The European Fisheries Commissioner, Franz Fischler, has confirmed he wants an 80% cut in fishing for cod, haddock and whiting.

His proposal is part of new European Commission plans to slash quotas as the only alternative to a total ban.

But the leader of Scotland's fishermen, Alex Smith, immediately predicted: "An 80% cut would mean the end of our fishery - it's as simple as that."

Scotland's fisheries minister Ross Finnie said the commission's announcement meant that the final negotiations in December will be "extremely tough".

Mr Fischler has acknowledged the likely social impact of cuts on coastal communities that are reliant on fishing.

Extraordinary situations call for courageous decisions

Franz Fischler

Nevertheless he had indicated he would press on with the reductions.

He said: "We find ourselves in an extraordinary situation where there are so few cod left in certain areas that scientists feel unable to predict the effects of potential recovery measures.

"We have a moral duty not to let these stocks disappear, as well as a social duty to protect our coastal areas most dependent on fisheries."

Wide-ranging ban

Presenting the proposals to EU fisheries ministers in Brussels, Mr Fischler said: "Extraordinary situations call for courageous decisions."

In October a scientific report recommended closing all fisheries catching cod "either as a target species or as by-catch" .

The ban would affect the North Sea, Irish Sea and channels west of Scotland.

Franz Fischler: "Moral duty"

But earlier this month the EU executive admitted it was considering alternatives to a total ban.

The new proposals suggest the biggest cut in fishing for cod but also call for a 40% cut in flatfish catches and a 10% cut in the industrial fisheries sector.

They also call for strengthened measures to police the new limits, including port inspections.

In a statement, the European Commission said: "The situation of cod stocks is now so alarming that the measures proposed in (the previous) recovery plan are no longer sufficient to ensure their recovery."

UK impact

Mr Fischler has been meeting each of the 15 EU fishing ministers separately to assess the chances of a broad agreement on the most severe cutbacks in the 20-year history of the Common Fisheries Policy.

He met UK Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley to explain the strategy - but the government's formal response to the plan must wait until departmental officials have worked out the implications for the UK fleet.

Mr Morley will also need to be convinced that cutbacks at the proposed levels will deliver the promised revival of crucial fish stocks.

Speaking in Brussels, Scottish fisheries minister Ross Finnie said: "Following today's confirmation by the Commission of its position there is no doubt that negotiations at December's Fisheries Council will be extremely tough."