EuroparlTV went to Scotland where fishermen are demanding more control over day-to-day management of the industry.

Close to you: Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy

The market at one of Europe's biggest  fish-handling ports - Peterhead, Scotland.

More than 6,000 boxes  of multiple varieties

speak of a healthy industry  and healthy stocks.

This is an industry  locked into an unpopular,

many say a failed,  EU Common Fisheries Policy,

At Nolan's fish producers,  they enjoy good turnover

from an increasing appetite  for fish across Europe.

They hope for more opportunities  and fewer restrictions from the reform

but they're not sure at all they'll get it.

Brussels is a horse fair,  a bit of give and take here and there.

My own gut feeling is  Scotland always fares badly.

We all agree we need to have  a sustainable fleet.

But we're not going to encourage  reinvestment in fishing

as long as it's as unviable as it is now.

The reform proposals include  action against overfishing,

ensuring sustainable  and productive fish stocks,

a ban on discards,  and decentralised management.

Some of Scotland's fishing community  got a chance

to air their grievances  and views on CFP reform

in a face-to-face  with Scottish MEPs at the port.

I came to the conclusion a few years ago

that nothing could be done,  we had to come out of the CFP.

Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me the CFP can  be reformed and it's worth sticking with.

I think there's a recognition  that we've got to get this right.

We only get the chance  to reform the CFP every 10 years.

some fisheries around Europe  will simply be in a state

But the key for some lies in the degree  to which Brussels will hand over control.

Here we have the chance to devolve  the day-to-day management of fisheries

and then down to stakeholders  themselves, to involve the fishermen.

They know it's been a catastrophe  micromanaged from the centre.

The fishing areas of Europe's 90,000-plus  vessels are clearly delineated.

The industry accepts that fish stocks need  to be sustained for future generations.

Sustainability lies at the heart  of CFP reform

and of the EU's 2020 strategy for growth.

The question is, what's the balance?  Especially when the economic survival

of communities that live and die by fish  is at stake.

Let's apply all our energies and resources  to getting the fishing sorted out,

instead of saying, 'What can you do  other than fishing?' That's a cop-out.

I understand environmental reasons,  but people must be able to make a living.

If you take away a whole community's  livelihood, you must put something back.

There's loads of fishermen  that are too old to do anything else,

so they'll spend their time  in pubs drinking.

Obviously, drug taking has got worse,  the state of the town's got worse.

Absolutely devastating. It just  brings the community to its knees.

No more cuts  and restore some of the haddock fishing,

because some of the fisher-guys  that I know

have said that the sea's  brimming with fish.

A different argument from those  advancing environmental interests.

Without getting stocks  to their optimal levels

the losses that could be faced  are enormous.

For example, there was a recent report  that stated that if you just took 43 stocks

and got them from their very low states  now to their optimal levels,

you could generate  an extra 3 billion euros of landings.

In the 18 years that David Isaac has been  fishing Scotland's western waters,

he's seen new boats erode his daily yield.

Coupled to that, he fears,  will be new EU regulations.

The cuts that have affected  the bigger boats in the UK are...

And once they've finished doing them,  they'll work their way down the scale

until the focus will be on the inshore  boats, which is gradually happening.

He wants officials to take account of  the loss of fishing ground from the start.

All these huge areas of seabed that  are being designated for wind farms.

If we're losing that  and we're losing ground to no-take zones,

that's a double whammy.  You get hit from either side.

MEPs are acutely aware that reform  of the Common Fisheries Policy

It's timetabled to come into force  the following year.

You can find more information  on CFP reform on the EP's website.

Over the coming months,  the Scotland Office of the EP

is holding or participating in  the following events:

You can also get in touch directly with  the EP's offices in your own countries.