By Chris Davies Liberal Democrat MEP for the North West

Has cod had its chips?

REFORM of the EU Common Fisheries Policy is needed urgently or there simply won't be any fish left in the sea.

It's not just cod stocks that are threatened. As many as 12 common species of fish found around the seas of Europe are now at risk. And, as the fishing fleets go into deeper and deeper waters to pursue their prey, even more species will soon be on the danger list. The children of the next generation may never get to enjoy a traditional plate of fish and chips.

We can point the finger of blame in many directions but the bottom line is that Europe is catching too many fish. The boats have got bigger and the methods more sophisticated. The fish don't stand a chance -- and soon they will be gone. Now the Commission has proposed major changes. Franz Fischler, the Fisheries Commissioner, wants to cut Europe's fishing fleets by 40 per cent.

He wants the money currently paid to modernise fishing fleets to be put towards the costs of making fishermen redundant. And he wants fishing grounds to be managed regionally, with fishermen themselves having a say in how to protect local fish stocks for the long term. A deadline looms. If no deal is reached by December 31, existing agreements to protect 12-mile inshore fishing limits will collapse, and a free-for-all could result.

Remember the Cod Wars between Britain and Iceland in the early 1970s? We could be set for a repeat on a Europe-wide scale. Britain, Denmark and at least half our EU partners support the reforms. But Spain, which has Europe's largest fishing fleet, is fighting them tooth and nail. Until the end of June, the Spaniards hold the EU Presidency, and there is much talk of behind-the-scenes skulduggery as they try to weaken or delay the plan. It's not my style to create pantomime villains who must be blamed for every fault. Spain is a relatively poor country with a big fishing industry. It's not surprising that they want to hang on to what they have got. But it's a short-sighted view.

For the fish, it's too late for compromise. Spain must be beaten in the Council of EU Ministers. It's urgent that we get a Europe-wide agreement not only to decide who can catch the fish but, more importantly, to save the stocks which remain. And if we fail now to secure a radical reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, what hope have we got of ever changing its big sister, the Common Agricultural Policy?