Scottish fishermen have reacted with fury to a quota swap deal which means the fleet losing economically vital prawns worth almost £2m to allow English fishermen an increased sole quota.

Scottish fishermen have reacted with fury to a quota swap deal which means the fleet losing economically vital prawns worth almost £2m to allow English fishermen an increased sole quota.

Defra has agreed a deal with Germany to swap 1.5% (375 tonnes) of the UK North Sea nephrops (prawns) share for 150 tonnes of sole for English boats in the southern North Sea which have been hit by recently introduced by-catch limits for skate and ray.

Nephrops is a key target stock for the Scottish fleet and the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF) says it is fished by a well-organised fleet which has made every effort, including heavy financial investment in quota, to abide by the rules and develop this sustainable fishery.

The SFF is particularly angry the deal was agreed without any warning or prior consultation by UK fisheries officials with the Scottish industry.

Bertie Armstrong, SFF chief executive, said: "We are astonished this was done without any reference to the industry that actually fishes the quota.

"International swaps are not in the least unusual but the general condition is everyone agrees to the arrangement. This is an unconsulted fait accompli.

"Germany has not been involved to any degree in this fishery but this hands entry into a market that was painstakingly developed by the Scottish fleet."

He added: "Why on earth has Ross Finnie allowed this to happen and what is he doing to stop this theft in its tracks? This is just the latest illustration of how the UK sidelines Scotland and treats our fishing communities with contempt."

Mr Finnie, the Scottish Fisheries Minister, said: "It was difficult not to have some sympathy with the economic difficulties facing vessels in the southern North Sea.

"In these exceptional circumstances, I reluctantly agreed to an international swap with Germany of 375 tonnes of North Sea nephrops quota in return for 150 tonnes of North Sea sole. This swap represents 1.5% of the UK North Sea nephrops share.

"We recognise there may be a small impact on some Scottish boats. The four Fisheries Administrations will be consulting extensively with producer organisations across the UK on a fair and reasonable way to effect the reallocation."

A spokesman for Defra said the by-catch limits put the livelihoods of 160 operators of small vessels at risk in the south of England.