A Government claim that it achieved a 'fair deal' for fishermen at European quota talks this week has been challenged by local fishermen.

South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray has called for a 'level playing field' for the industry in the South West as it competes against cross-Channel rivals.

The EU Fisheries and Agriculture Council meeting ended on Tuesday with Britain having secured the same quota as last year for species including monkfish, megrim and pollock in Fishing Area V11, including the South West, as well as skates and rays around the UK.

Cuts were agreed to other quotas, however, with a 10 per cent reduction to Channel-caught plaice and sole, and the loss of 26 per cent of cod, 14 per cent of whiting and 12 per cent of haddock – all fish regularly landed in Cornwall and Devon.

Plymouth Fisheries manager Pete Bromley said that much of the fish being caught by Westcountry fishermen will now be dumped at sea to meet the reduced quotas.

Looe fisherman and chairman of the South West Handline Association Dave Bond said, in his opinion, any further cuts in quotas were a bad thing and put even more pressure on the fleet, although he conceded it was not as bad as many had feared. But the reduction in the quota for Dover sole could prove critical for under 10m boats. 'Catching the sole quota used to mean three months' work – now it takes less than an hour,' he said.

Pete Bromley said: 'Quotas are still continually being set too low, often because of flawed, inaccurate or insufficient scientific data, but there comes a point where fishermen will go out of business if they are not allowed to catch enough fish to pay the bills.'