VITAL North Sea, West of Scotland, and Irish Sea cod fishing grounds are to stay open under a European fisheries deal hammered out in Brussels early today.

Despite grim warnings from scientists about the state of dwindling stocks, European Commission plans that the Government said would devastate the UK fleet have been withdrawn.

Fishermen even escape a cut in the number of cod fishing days at sea as long as they use nets with a minimum-agreed mesh size to let the immature fish through to boost stock revival hopes.

Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw emerged from the gruelling talks after the pre-dawn accord to declare the needs of the industry and of conservation had been met.

And he promised that the UK was still willing to consider no-go areas for cod fishing in future if supplies in the sea do not recover and the scientific evidence justifies it.

"The UK fishing industry has made the biggest contribution to recovery and I am pleased that this has been reflected in today's agreement," he said.

"We welcome the fact that plans for closed areas have been withdrawn and that we have managed to maintain the number of days fishermen can fish as long they use 120 millimetre mesh nets."