Fishermen want £100m to offset cuts in quotas

Scotland's most powerful fishermen's group is demanding £100m in compensation for cuts in North Sea quotas.

The call, from the Scottish White Fish Producers' Association, came as industry leaders began talks to salvage the UK fishing fleet in the face of the drastic cuts imposed by the EU to protect endangered stocks. Directors of the association passed a vote of no confidence in Elliot Morley, the UK Fisheries minister.

Ross Finnie, the Scottish Fisheries minister, and Mr Morley met representatives of the fishing industry in Edinburgh yesterday to discuss the quotas, imposed last Friday. The deal will see cod catches reduced by 45 per cent from next year while the haddock catch will be more than halved.

Fishing boats will be allowed to spend no more than 15 days a month at sea, and then only if the fleet decommissions 20 per cent of its trawlers.