EU ministers struck a deal late last night on reform of Europe's fishing industry, after marathon five-day talks in Brussels, a source with the Danish EU Presidency said.
The compromise accord, which received majority support but was not supported by Germany or Sweden, included deep cuts in catches of cod, threatened by dwindling stocks.
"We have got a good deal that strikes a good balance between ensuring sustainable fisheries and also that communities can have viable fisheries," said a spokesman for the Presidency.
The ministers agreed to a temporary cut of 45 per cent in the quotas to catch cod, down from a proposal by the European Commission to slash the catch by 80 percent.
But the deal was immediately attacked as threatening fishing communities.
"These proposals are absolutely devastating. They are worse than anyone feared," said Mr Richard Lockhead, a Scottish fishing specialist and member of Britain's Conservative Party.
"These are proposals that have no justification. We have been sold out by our ministers in these talks," he told AFP.
The agreement came after the EU Presidency tabled a new compromise proposal, and amid fears that the talks would drag on into a sixth day.
The German Fisheries Minister, Ms Renate Künast also expressed disappointment, explaining why she had voted against the accord.
"This is a package which makes significant progress compared to previous practice," she told reporters.
"But it is also clear that on the basis of scientific evidence, in particular about cod stocks, this was not enough for me.
"I can honestly say after this week that I have a sense of how difficult it will be to build up cod stocks again."
Negotiations on fishing quotas give rise every December to hard bargaining between member-states, keen to net the biggest catches in the following year.
But the talks have turned into an all-out clash this year after scientists and the EU executive warned that deep cuts were needed in fishing of cod to avoid wiping the species out altogether.
The new proposal notably made concessions to the so-called "friends of fishing" - France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Greece - on key points including public subsidies to maintain and modernise fleets. - (AFP)
• Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent, adds:
Fishing industry representatives reacted with initial disappointment last night to the deal agreed at late-night talks in Brussels.
"We still have to look at the detail, but the proposal to restrict the whitefish fleet in the north-west (area VI) to nine days a month at sea will be disastrous," Mr Sean O'Donoghue, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, told The Irish Times. This would have very serious implications for the whitefish fleet extending from Rossaveal, Co Galway, to Donegal, he said.
The restriction is part of measures agreed to conserve cod stocks, but will apply to whitefish vessels whatever species they are catching.
"Irish vessels catch very little cod in area VI, but we are being pulled into the restrictions for the North Sea," Mr O'Donoghue said. "The measure should have been species-specific if there was to be any logic to it."
The Irish Sea and Celtic Sea were spared the restriction because of stock recovery plans which are already in place for these areas.
Nor was there much satisfaction at the continuing deadlock between Ireland and Spain over the Irish Box. This issue will now be discussed again in the new year, following a series of intensive bilateral meetings over the last two days.