Fisheries minister: Quotas will have negative effect The annual argument over European fishing quotas is about to start. No issue will be more fraught in those discussions than the one that affects this country - cod fishing in the North Sea. Cod levels are rising - but that does not necessarily mean fisherman can start sending their boats back out and lowering their nets. Despite the growing numbers, Europe's cod recovery plan is still not on track. As cod is not doing as well as it should be, the EU Commission wants cuts in quotas next year. The fishing industry is opposed to that, but scientists think fishing must be curtailed if stocks are to recover fully. Callum Roberts, Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of York, told the Today programme: "We've introduced this cod recovery plan which is supposed to lead us towards the ultimate goal of more cod in the sea, and therefore more cod to catch." Richard Benyon, the fisheries minister, said: "The problem with the cod recovery plan is that it is a bad plan. There is no flexibility in it at all. If this cut to quotas goes ahead, it will result in more discards. It will be bad for sustainability. We've got good scientific advice that says the proposed cuts to the quota will have a negative effect. This is a very serious matter, it will drive fishermen away from the good things they've been doing in recent years.