Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley yesterday played down fears of further job losses in the UK's fishing industry after the European Commission announced a proposed overhaul of the industry.

He said the implications of changes to the Common Fisheries Policies were likely to have most impact on other European countries because of efforts already made to reduce the number of UK trawlers.

Spain, which has the largest fleet and the biggest stake in the EU's £600m annual fisheries subsidies, is alarmed by the plans and has been accused of putting pressure on Brussels to water them down.

If the changes are approved, it would mean the end of aid for building new trawlers, with £460m diverted to helping fishermen find alternative work.

The Common Fisheries Policy was introduced in 1983 to carve up Europe's fishing waters, with national quotas to help conserve fish stocks.

The proposals announced by EU Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler would replace the annual "horse trading" by nations on the size of their stock with a plan using the latest scientific advice to ensure enough fish remain.

There are currently about 15,000 fishermen in the UK compared with 65,000 in Spain.

Another 19,000 are employed in the UK's fish processing industry and 7,000 people work for the country's 3,000 fishmongers, the Commission said.

The number of EU fishermen has dropped by a quarter - 66,000 - between 1991 and 1998.

At present, ten vessels are chasing fish that five or six could catch without damaging fish numbers and the environment, the Commission added.

Yesterday's proposals talk about a cut of 8,600 vessels across Europe.

The size of the UK fishing fleet currently stands at 7,169, comprising 350 vessels in Northern Ireland, 2,559 in Scotland, 499 in Wales, and 3,761 in England.

Between 1993 and 1997 10.1 per cent of the UK fleet was decommissioned through a voluntary scheme which paid fishermen to put their vessels beyond use and hand in their licences. Last year a further ten per cent were decommissioned.

Elliot Morley said the reductions in foreign fleets would help lessen the blow for the UK fishing sector.

"There is no doubt there is an over capacity, but from the UK perspective we have done a great deal to reduce capacity.

"We are in a situation that we have a crew shortage, many fishing vessels are struggling to get crew at the moment."

The UK Government is keen to retain the six and 12-mile limits on in-shore fishing, which restrict them for UK vessels and those with historic rights