Two sharks are killed for every one swordfish caught illegally off Morocco for the European market, WWF said.

It urged European governments to crack down on wasteful fishing practices.

"The trail of destruction behind industrialised fishing must be stopped or our children will be left with a barren ocean," said James Woolford of the WWF's European fisheries campaign.

In a report, the group said bottom-trawling for Norwegian lobster, also called scampi and langoustine, is devastating the sea floor and starfish, shellfish and crustaceans.

As much as a third of Atlantic bluefin tuna catches come from illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, mostly by EU fleets, the group said. Stocks of cod have been severely depleted in recent years.

West African fleets hauling fish, shrimp and squid for European consumption have also badly depleted marine resources, threatening food and income security in that region, WWF said.