Asda said local fishermen should take charge of the North Sea

The company said the protection of fishermen's livelihoods - particularly in Scotland - required drastic measures to preserve stocks.

An Asda spokesman said: "We want all the fish we sell to be sustainable."

The Scottish Executive said there were no easy solutions and warned Asda could create "false hope".

The Seafood Processors Federation (SSFF) has already made the CFP call.

We believe independent certification is the only way to secure the long-term future of Scottish fisheries Gordon Maddan Asda

Gordon Maddan, regulatory affairs manager at Asda, said of sustainability: "It's very clear that the CFP has failed to deliver this, so we are now supporting calls for a radical change in approach."

He said the answer was UK withdrawal from the CFP and its replacement with a fisheries management regime devised by fishermen themselves.

Executive 'concern'

Mr Madden said: "We believe independent certification is the only way to secure the long-term future of Scottish fisheries.

"We're already working closely with the Scottish Executive, Scottish fishermen's organisations and the Marine Stewardship Council to try and bring this about."

Asda suspended the sale of North Sea cod three months ago, switching to fisheries in Iceland and Norway pending the outcome of EU talks.

Asda still sells Scottish-caught haddock in all of its stores in Scotland.

The Scottish Executive told BBC Scotland: "We are concerned that the statement from Asda might bring false hope that there are easy solutions to international fisheries management.

"It is essential that we have an international framework to help manage Scotland's fisheries.

"57% of fish stocks around Scotland are controlled by international agreements beyond the EU, including the agreement with Norway.

"Withdrawal from the CFP would not change that."