A minister tonight branded a decision by a council to extend European Commission catch restrictions as "extremely disappointing".

Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead said the catch composition rules on whitefish vessels operating on the West Coast - adopted last year - are to be extended by up to another 18 months.

The plan to extend the catch rules was backed at the November Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels today where representatives of member states vote on European Commission proposals.

But speaking from Brussels on Friday night, Mr Lochhead said: "Many of the real threats that our fishermen were facing coming into these talks have been averted.

"For example our valuable prawn fleets are no longer facing the prospect of new draconian technical measures in 2010. And changes to fishing gear that would have impacted on both viability and safety have been averted."

But Mr Lochhead said the "huge sigh of relief" following the removal of the threats were "quickly soured".

He said: "A number of West Coast fishermen now have to live with unworkable catch rules for another 18 months when they were only supposed to be emergency measures that would expire next month.

"Given that these measures were supposed to be in place for one year and we were working with the industry on a new regime to replace it, this appalling decision amounts to a serious breach of faith by Commissioner Borg.

"Scotland's fishermen have just witnessed the micro-managing and broken Common Fisheries Policy at its very worst."