The EU Parliament has agreed a deal to reform the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), including a ban on the discarding of edible fish.

The new regulations will come into force on January 1.

The new CFP will ban the practice of throwing unwanted catches back into the sea.

A legally binding commitment for all EU member states to ensure they fish at sustainable levels will also be introduced with annual quotas underpinned by scientific advice.

There will also be decentralised decision making, allowing member states to agree the measures appropriate to their fisheries

The ban on discarding in ‘pelagic’ fisheries such as mackerel and herring will take effect on January 2015, with a further ban on discards in other fisheries starting from Jan 1, 2016.

George Eustice, Fisheries Minister, said: “The long fight to reform the broken Common Fisheries Policy and end the shameful practice of perfectly good fish being thrown dead back into the sea has been won. Today’s vote signifies a new chapter for the CFP that will make fishing more sustainable, will end the centralised one-size-fits all approach to decision making and will make discards a thing of the past.

“This vote marks a significant milestone and is a testament to the hard work that went into securing the much needed reform of a broken policy. But our work is not over. We will continue to work with fishermen to help them adjust to the new reforms so that the transition is as smooth as possible.”