The European Commission proposed today for the first time catch limits for deep-water fish in a bid to halt Europe's dwindling stocks in waters beyond main fishing grounds.
The proposal aims to stop the exploition of slow-growing fish species such as red seabream and black scabbardfish, which are caught beyond the continental shelf of the North Atlantic.
EU Fisheries Commissioner Mr Franz Fischler said in a statement that deep-sea fishing must be regulated to avoid the depletion of stocks.
The measures proposed today are a first step to protect these fragile species and the little known eco-system to which they belong, he said.
Last week the Commission announced proposals to slash current quotas by an average of 18.5 per cent with some quotas to be cut by half for over-fished species such as cod and hake.