The fisheries minister has told Scottish fishermen to "get real" about the future of their industry.

Ben Bradshaw was speaking in the fishing town of Peterhead after EU scientists called for a ban on cod fishing in the west of Scotland, the North Sea and the Irish Sea.

Cod stocks have dwindled dramatically in recent years, threatening the long term viability of the industry.

Researchers said a ban was needed to ease the pressure on fish stocks and allow them to recover in the long run.

"These cod stocks are at such low levels that we have had to resort to recommending zero catches as a final line in the sand, to give them some respite," International Council for the Exploration of the Sea report author David Griffith said.

"If they are given the chance to return to their former productive states now, we hope that in the future they will be able to support valuable fisheries again."

Bradshaw said "cod crusaders" who argue that the scientists have got it wrong would have to "get real" if they were to save the industry.

"It's simply not good enough to say the scientists are wrong, we know better, there are plenty of cod. That is not a tenable position," he told the BBC.

He added that the report would have to be "taken seriously" and considered before its conclusions were accepted.

"The message is clearly bleak on some stocks of key interest to the UK; it must be taken seriously if fishing these stocks in the UK is to have a sustainable and profitable future," Bradshaw said.

"We have already taken vigorous measures to bring about recovery of these stocks where these are justified.

"A total of £50 million has been allocated this year to decommission fishing vessels and, for the first time, the amount of time that boats can spend at sea in the North Sea has been restricted, in addition to the quota regime.

"Before we can draw conclusions from what the scientists are saying we need to analyse it, and discuss it with those fishermen who will be affected."

The government was determined to ensure the industry remain sustainable, the minister insisted.

"We shall be looking at the same time to ensure that fishing activity remains at a viable level," he said.

"The concerns and views of fishermen and fishing communities in all parts of the UK will be of prime concern to us.

"The fact that there are severe problems with some stocks is beyond doubt.

"However, it is not all doom and gloom. Some sectors of fishing - particularly shellfish and species such as mackerel and herring - are doing well."