A blanket ban on drift-net fishing would kill off Norfolk's herring industry - and have a much wider impact on the region, according to a Caister fisherman who has described the EU proposal as ridiculous.
The European Commission believes a universal ban will protect marine mammals, such as sea turtles and dolphins, which can get caught up in nets. The ban, due to come into force in January 2015, is aimed at larger vessels in the Mediterranean, and those flouting the existing ban on drag-netting migratory fisheries.
But Caister fisherman Dick Thurlow said the ruling, if it goes through, will kill Norfolk's herring heritage.
'The herring industry is never going to be what is was but this will be the end of it,' said Mr Thurlow, who fishes in a small boat off the east Norfolk coast.
'It will mean no more fresh herring caught off Norfolk.
'We're not talking short term, it will kill it completely.'
Mr Thurlow fears an all-out ban would have a knock-on effect too, hitting those who produce kippers and use herring as bait in long line fishing as well as robbing the local fisherman of their livelihoods.
UK group Seafish has called for a re-think on the ban, branding it 'unnecessary, heavy handed, disproportionate and inappropriate for UK waters'.
Mr Thurlow agreed, adding: 'They are targeting the French and Spanish boats that have three to five miles of gear, with nets that can be in the water for 12 to 24 hours. The problem is in the Mediterranean waters, not here.
'We're out for a short time and we've got maybe 400/500 metres of gear. We patrol up and down the gear all the time.
'We know straight away if anything is caught and, I can honestly say, in my entire life I have caught no more than 10 porpoise and we've always let them go, not one has been killed.'
While the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has written to the Commission counselling against a full ban, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) would be tasked with enforcing the EU fisheries regulation if it comes into force.
The ban will start on 1 January 2015 if agreed by EU member states and the European Parliament.
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