Skippers warned but EC backs down from fish dumping ban

MARIA Damanaki, the European Fisheries Commissioner, yesterday stepped back from calling for an immediate move towards the blanket ban on dumping fish at sea, which Scottish fishermen's leaders fear could spell economic disaster.

Instead, she set out proposals for the phased introduction of a plan to end discards, as part of the long-awaited reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

But Ms Damanaki warned European fisheries ministers: "If we don't tackle this problem now, it will come back to haunt us."

Under the current quota system, skippers are forced to throw thousands of tonnes of dead fish back into the sea.