A global plan to restore the world''s heavily depleted fish stocks by 2015 has been agreed at the World Development Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Over 189 nations reached a decision to set up a network of protected marine areas by 2012 to safeguard endangered fish stocks, and hopefully see gloabal fisheries returning to commercial health by 2015.
According to the UN, more than 25% of the world's fisheries are over-exploited, 50% are being fished to their full potential and 75% need immediate action to reduce fishing to protect depleted stocks.
The rescue package involves creating a series of protected marine areas and restricting fishing until stocks recover in other parts of the world. The protected areas would then be used as nurseries for species such as cod, tuna and herring.
Fishing organisations have already said the plan is not the complete answer to problems with stocks although they agreed it goes some way towards sustainability.
European Commissioner Franz Fischler welcomed the agreement.
He said: "I fully support the agreement, this is a clear signal that there is growing recognition at an international global level of the need to take fisheries conservation seriously."
He said that as far as European waters were concerned, he would like to see the plan achieved long before 2015, and action taken before the start of 2003.
