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 yesterday told a meeting of Europe's fisheries ministers in Brussels that cod stocks in the North Sea are in an even worse state than previously thought and the fish could be on the brink of extinction.

He suggested even 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."

And he claimed the fish boffins 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 five years ago.

"There must be a better way of assessing stock - the scientists should come out with the fishermen who are out there catching the stuff."

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

He said the policy of regulating fish stocks with annual catch limits and national quotas was a flop and is proposing strict controls on "fishing effort" - the amount of time the fleet spends at sea.

Bob Casson is chairman of the North-East section of National Federation of Fishermens' Organisations - which represents around 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. This will make it worse. If they restrict it any more in the North-East, fishermen in the region will have to stop being fishermen."