Gordon Maddan, regulatory affairs manager for the Yorkshire based retail chain said: "We want all the fish we sell to be sustainable. It's very clear however that the Common Fisheries Policy has failed to deliver this so we are now supporting calls for a radical change in approach." He added: "The CFP has cost many jobs among fishermen and shore workers at fishing ports around the UK."

The supermarket believes a new management regime, devised by fishermen and taking on board the views of non governmental organisations (NGO's) and other stakeholders should replace the CFP. It would give fishermen a stake in managing the stocks on which their livelihoods depend.

Asda is the first major food retailer to take such a politically controvsresial stance and the move is likely to raise a few eyebrows on the Humber where at least one factory in Hull is a dedicated producer for the company. Five years ago it contracted a number of Grimsby boats to fish exclusively for Asda, althogh that deal eventually faded.

Mr Maddan said: "We believe independent certification is the only way to secure the long term future of Scottish fisheries. We're already working closely with the Scottish Executive, Scottish Fishermen's organisations and the Marine Stewardship Council to try and bring this about."

Earlier this year ASDA announced it was dramatically changing the way it sources fish, bringing its sustainable fish policy into line with its parent company Wal-Mart.

Within the next three to five years, ASDA said it would only stock wild-caught fresh and frozen fish from fisheries that meet the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) independent environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.

The decision means dozens of products bearing the MSC’s distinctive blue eco-label have started appearing on the supermarket's shelves. As part of its new sustainable fish policy, ASDA has already removed shark, skate wings, ling, huss (dog fish) and Dover sole from sale.

ASDA suspended the sale of North Sea cod in May this year switching to fisheries in Iceland and Norway while it works with EU Fisheries officials and the North Sea Regional Advisory Council to establish a stock recovery plan for the species. However it continues to sell Scottish caught haddock in all its stores in Scotland.

The supermarket is calling for the North Sea to be declared a marine conservation zone to preserve fish stocks for local fishing communities. It believes commercial fishing of the North Sea should be limited to local fishermen who depend on it for their sole income and who use recognised sustainable fishing practices.

The Fishermen's Association Ltd (FAL) and Save Britain's Fish (SBF) have been campaigning for UK withdrawal from the Common Fisheries Policy for the past 10 years, saying that thousands of fishermen have lost their jobs as a direct result of EU conservation policy. They estimate between 2001 and 2004 196 vessels over 10 metres have been scrapped, and that 1100 boats have left the UK fleet in the 20 years since the UK joined the Common Market.

The Scottish Seafood Processors' Federation bolstered the campaign last week, although they conceded withdrawal could not be achieved overnight.But in the meantime they said they wanted major reform of existing EU fishing rules.

But the Conservative Party, which advocated CFP withdrawal at the last election, said the issue was far from simple. Britain was bound to the policy by treaty and it was difficult to pull out unilaterally although that may have to come.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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