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The European Union (EU) was once again in the grip of a fishing controversy. After stormy discussions, EU fishery ministers agreed to reduce fishing capacities by up to 30 per cent over the next five years in a bid to save dwindling fish stocks in European waters.

The agreement allows member countries to make the cuts either by lowering the size of the fleets or by reducing the number of days they spend at sea. The 30 per cent cut has been introduced for endangered species while 20 per cent reduction has been imposed for over-fished stocks which are not yet facing extinction. Cod, herring, mackerel, plaice and sole in the North Sea and salmon in the Baltic Sea are some of the most endangered species. Over-fished stocks include haddock, saithe and hake in the North Sea, mackerel, bluefish tuna and swordfish off the Iberian peninsula.

As usual, there were voices of dissent. Britain and France voted against the deal. Britain was unhappy about EU's permissive policy of 'quota-hopping' - the practice of foreign boat owners buying British fish quotas. It has been insisting that EU must resolve the issue before fishing capacity is reduced. "We are not prepared to continue to see a situation where over a quarter of the British fishing flea is foreign-owned and foreign-controlled," said the British fisheries minister Tony Baldry. France did not support the five-year deal since this would commit it to reduce its fishing capacity beyond 1999 when existing funding arrangements would expire.

Environmentalists have also criticised the deal because they feel the reductions are not enough to save the endangered stocks. The cuts are much less than the targets that were being pressed for by the European Commission. The agreement also does not stop EU trawlers from operating in the waters of Third World countries.

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