Organised by the North West Waters Regional Advisory Council, the meeting involved fishermen, the European Commission fishery scientists and the member states and was launched by Northern Ireland's Fisheries Minister Michelle Gillgernew.

The aim was to break the cycle of failed measures, poor data and weak assessments. However the NFFO said the fishing industry was eager to stress the measures which had been taken to date and these included improved selectivity of gear, seasonal closures during the spawning period and decommissioning schemes.

The NFFO said it was vital to identify the reasons why Irish Sea cod was not showing the same signs of recovery seen in the North Sea. There were also paradoxes to face, such as the relatively abundant haddock and plaice stocks which contrasted dramatically with the cod and sole fisheries.

Given the divergent views on the state of the stocks and the weaknesses in the present assessments it was agreed that the first priority in a plan of action should be to take steps to build a consensus on the status of the stocks.

David Hill, NFFO chairman, said that while the meeting could be an important turning point no-one came away thinking that a simple solution was just around the corner. He added: " The priority now is to set out a work programme that will take us to where we need to go”.

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