A report calling for fishing to be banned in almost a third of UK waters could spell the end of North Sea fishing, industry leaders in the region said last night.

They said the report was two years out of date and, if the recommendations in the report were implemented, it would mean hundreds of job losses.

The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution report says existing policies to stop over-fishing have failed and the sea should be treated the same way as endangered areas on land.

Commission chairman Sir Tom Blundell said: "Currently, fishing is allowed unless there is clear evidence of damage. This needs to change.

"We need to take positive steps to allow the environment to recover. Marine reserves should be created to protect 30 per cent of the UK's seas from fishing.

"Intervention on this scale is necessary to preserve important ecosystems and to break the present cycle of unrealistic quotas and diminishing fish populations. Similar measures are also needed across Europe."

But Whitby trawlerman and chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, Arnold Locker, said work has already been done to increase fish stocks.

"The report is two years out of date," he said.

"A lot of the work has been completed. There is more haddock in the North Sea than has ever been recorded before. That is the same with whiting. The cod is not where we would like it, but it is getting stronger year on year.

"If this happened, it would have a serious effect. We can only fish for 15 days a month and if they say we can't go into this area, those areas that are left might have no fish."

Scarborough skipper Fred Normandale said: "Our boats had their best catch they have had all year last week and it was all cod. There is plenty of fish."

Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw said yesterday that current UK and EU measures to restore stocks of cod should be given time to have an impact.

"I think we need to give time for the radical measures we have already taken to have an impact before moving to possibly more radical measures later," he said.