Fishing boats are being scrapped

The Scottish National Party (SNP) Westminster leader Alex Salmond said he had broad support for a bill which he plans to introduce in the Commons next week.

He said the policy had been disastrous for the Scottish industry and the only answer was to reclaim control over UK waters.

Scottish Fisheries Minister Ross Finnie said it would take years to negotiate a new deal and the industry's problems could not be blamed on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) alone.

The only real solution is to scrap this policy and reclaim control over our own fishing waters Alex Salmond SNP Westminster leader

Half of Scotland's whitefish fleet will have been scrapped by the end of this year, with cod stocks said to be on the verge of collapse.

Scientists advising the European Union on fish quotas have recommended a ban on cod fishing off the west of Scotland, in the North Sea and in the Irish Sea.

Some politicians trace the problems to the UK joining the European Community in 1971 and the CFP which followed.

The policy is now being reformed but Mr Salmond said the time was right to abandon it altogether.

He has put together a Commons motion to restore control over fishing grounds.

"This upsurge of cross-party support for the bill that I'll be releasing next week will strengthen the hand of Ross Finnie and the other negotiators going to the European Council," he said.

Mr Finnie said the policy was not the problem

"They'll be able to say there is now an upsurge to get rid of this policy altogether.

"I suspect that will concentrate the minds of the European Commission wonderfully in securing a short-term deal for Scottish fishermen.

"But the only real solution is to scrap this policy and reclaim control over our own fishing waters."

However, Mr Finnie warned that getting out of the CFP would take years of negotiation and still not solve the problem.

"The CFP itself isn't responsible for stocks going up and down," said Mr Finnie.

"There is scientific evidence demonstrating quite clearly there is a fluctuation of stock.

"There are also different economic circumstances and I think it is too narrow to point that all at fisheries policy."