LEADERS of the region's ailing fishing industry reacted angrily last night as European ministers proposed less time at sea for their vessels.

EU Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler told a meeting of Europe's fisheries ministers in Brussels yesterday that cod stocks in the North Sea were in an even worse state than previously thought - and warned the fish could be on the brink of extinction.

He suggested tougher controls on the amount of time vessels can spend at sea.

Richard Brewer, Whitby fisherman and director of the Anglo-Scottish Fish Producers' Association, said any more cuts would spell the death of the industry.

"If there are any more cuts, there will not be a fleet at all," he said. "We are down to 15 days a month now. Any more time off and it will be totally pointless - what you catch won't even cover the cost of the vessel or pay the men's wages."

He claimed fish experts have got stock levels wrong.

"I have been fishing for 35 years and can clearly see that white fish stocks are not as bad as they were."

Mr Fischler acknowledged on Tuesday that the Common Fisheries Policy - intended to manage European fishing grounds - has been a complete failure.

Bob Casson is chairman of the North-East section of National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, which represents about 1,000 fishermen in North Yorkshire and the North-East

Mr Casson, 56, from Whitley Bay, who has a trawler at North Shields, has had his annual cod quota cut from 24 tonnes in 2000 to 6.5 tonnes this year.

He said: "Quotas in the past affected the fishermen severely. If there are any more restrictions, fishermen may as well call it a day.

"We can barely make ends meet and this will make it worse. If they restrict quotas any more in the North-East, fishermen here will have to stop being fishermen."