Report from the Commission on implementation of the scheme to compensate for the additional costs incurred in the marketing of certain fishery products from the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and the French departments of Guiana and Reunion as a result of those Regions' remoteness
Date: 2003-10-01
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Azores, Canary Islands, French Guiana, Madeira, Réunion, application of EU law, fishing industry, peripheral region, sales aid

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 01.10.2003
COM(2003)574 final

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION

ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SCHEME TO COMPENSATE FOR THE
ADDITIONAL COSTS INCURRED IN THE MARKETING OF CERTAIN FISHERY
PRODUCTS FROM THE AZORES, MADEIRA, THE CANARY ISLANDS AND THE
FRENCH DEPARTMENTS OF GUIANA AND REUNION AS A RESULT OF THOSE
REGIONS' REMOTENESS

   
INTRODUCTION

1. Subject of the present report

Article 6 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1587/98 of 17 July 1998 introducing a scheme
to  compensate  for  the  additional  costs  incurred  in  the  marketing  of  certain  fishery
products  from  the  Azores,  Madeira,  the  Canary  Islands  and  the  French  departments  of
Guiana and Réunion as a result of those regions' remoteness1, as amended by Regulation
(EC)  No  579/20022,  requires  the  Commission  to  submit  a  report  to  the  European
Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the
Regions  on  the  implementation  of  the  measures  provided  for  therein,  together,  where
appropriate, with suitable proposals.

In accordance with that provision, the present report describes the results of operating the
support  scheme  for  marketing  of  certain  species  produced  in  the  regions  concerned.  It
also discusses the constraints currently faced by the fishery sector as regards the species
which  are  marketed  in  significant  quantities  and  outlines  the  prospects  for  Community
action in this field.

2. The legal framework for Community action

By  Decisions  89/687/EEC3,  91/314/EEC4  and  91/315/EEC5,  the  Council  has  instituted
programmes  of  specific  options  for  addressing  the  remoteness  and  insularity  of  these
regions, creating a suitable framework for the adoption of measures in the various sectors
of  activity  which  require  particular  attention  as  regards  the  strengthening  of  the
Community  support  necessary  for  alleviating 
the  permanent  constraints  which
characterise these regions (Poseidom, Poseican and Poseima programmes).

These programmes are  designed to take account, in implementing Community policies,
of  the  special  characteristics  and  handicaps  of  these  regions  in  connection  with  their
remoteness  and  insularity.  Their  economic  dependence  on  a  small  number  of  products,
their  limited  markets,  their  dual  nature  as  both  Community  regions  and  as  territories
situated in  an environment of developing  countries  thus  affect  the  economic  and  social
life of these regions.

Symbolising  Community  solidarity  with  the  outermost  regions,  and  essential  to  their
integration  into  the  internal  market,  these  programmes  were  conceived  as  frames  of
reference for the implementation of Community policies in these regions.

Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty recognises the need to adopt special measures to assist
them, particularly in the fisheries sector, which is mentioned explicitly6.

1

2

3

4

5

6

OJ L 208, 24.7.1998
OJ L 89, 5.4.2002
OJ L 399, 30.12.1989
OJ L 171, 29.6.1991
OJ L 171, 29.6.1991
The full text reads as follows:
"The  provisions  of  this  Treaty  shall  apply  to  the  French  overseas  departments,  the  Azores,
Madeira and the Canary Islands. However, taking account of the structural social and  economic

2

                                                
Several  factors,  in  particular  the  extent  of  the  exclusive  economic  zones  and  the
employment  created  by  fisheries-related  activities,  justify  a  Community  approach
reflecting  the  importance  of  the  fishing  sector  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  constraints
stemming from the remoteness of the regions concerned.

PART I

1. Specific case of support for marketing certain fisheries products

The  absence  of  regional  markets  and  additional  transport  costs  mean  that  there  are
permanent constraints as regards access to the outlets where these products are marketed.
This is a situation common to the five outermost regions.

Precisely in the light of this situation, the Community decided to assist producers in the
regions  concerned  with  marketing  fishery  products.  A  scheme  was  thus  introduced  in
19927  and  has  been  highly  successful.  The  scheme  was  renewed  on  various  occasions,
most recently by Council Regulation (EC) No 1587/98, as amended by Regulation (EC)
No 579/2002. As a result of the amendment made by this latter Regulation, the scheme
remains in operation until 31 December 2002. It has made it possible to provide support
for the marketing of the species most concerned by allowing external marketing activities
under conditions comparable to those of economic operators in mainland Europe.

2. The current scheme

The current scheme adopted by Council Regulation (EC) No 1587/98 recognises that the
difficulties facing the fishery industry of the European Union are aggravated in particular
by the cost of transporting fishery products to markets as a result of the remoteness and
isolation of the outermost regions.

It also recognises that programmes of options specific to the remote and insular nature of
these regions form part of the Community’s policy to assist them, taking account of the
constraints  to  which  they  are  subject  and  their  specific  development  problems,  and
emphasises  that  non-industrial  and  inshore  fishing  is  important  from  the  social  and
economic viewpoints.

situation of the French overseas departments, the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands, which
is  compounded  by  their  remoteness,  insularity,  small  size,  difficult  topography  and  climate,
economic  dependence  on  a  few  products,  the  permanence  and  combination  of  which  severely
restrain  their  development,  the  Council,  acting  by  a  qualified  majority  on  a  proposal  from  the
Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, shall adopt specific  measures aimed,
in particular, at laying down the conditions of application of the present Treaty to those regions,
including common policies.
The Council shall, when adopting the relevant  measures referred to in the  second subparagraph,
take  into  account  areas  such  as  customs  and  trade  policies,  fiscal  policy,  free  zones,  agriculture
and fisheries policies, conditions for supply of raw materials and essential consumer goods, State
aids  and  conditions  of  access  to  structural  funds  and  to  horizontal  Community  programmes.
The Council shall adopt the measures referred to in the second subparagraph taking into account
the  special  characteristics  and  constraints  of  the  outermost  regions  without  undermining  the
integrity  and  the  coherence  of  the  Community  legal  order,  including  the  internal  market  and
common policies.
Commission  Decision  of  30  July  1992  on  the  grant  of  Community  aid  for  certain  specific
measures implementing the Poseima programme - OJ L 248, 28.8.1992

7

3

                                                                                                                                                
The  scheme  provides  compensation  for  the  remoteness-induced  additional  costs  in
marketing the following fishery products:

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Tuna and demersal species (for the Azores)

Tuna  and  mackerel  supplied  to  the  local  industry  and  black  scabbard-fish  (for
Madeira)

Tuna  for  marketing  fresh  and  frozen,  sardine  and  mackerel  for  freezing  and
processing,  aquaculture  products  and  cephalopod  products  (for  the  Canary
Islands)

Shrimps (for Guiana)

Tuna and swordfish marketed fresh (for Réunion).

In  accordance  with  the  amendment  made  by  Regulation  (EC)  No  579/2002  to  take
account  of  changes  in  marketing  conditions  and  characteristics,  the  Commission  may
adjust not only the compensatory amounts, as in the past, but also the quantities set for
the various species, within the overall financial provisions set out for each region.

PART II

Situation in the fishing sector in the regions covered by the scheme – Prospects for
future development of the scheme

1. Azores

The  Azores  archipelago  consists  of  nine  islands  in  three  groups  –  Western  (Flores  and
Corvo), Central (Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial) and Eastern (São Miguel
and Santa  Maria) –  spread  along  a  WNW–ESE band measuring approximately 630 km
by 130 km in the southern part of Division X (as defined by the International Council for
the Exploration of the Sea – ICES).

The  Azores  are  a  geographically  isolated  region,  l 600  km  from  the  coast  of  mainland
Portugal and 4 000 km from the Eastern seaboard of the United States.

This isolation is compounded by the marked dispersion of the islands themselves. Faial
and Pico are  closest  to  each  other,  some  6  km  apart,  while  Santa  Maria  and  Corvo  are
furthest apart, at almost 630 km.

The islands’ dispersion and isolation from others and from the continents allow them to
benefit from a particularly large exclusive economic zone (938 000 km²).

The fisheries sector in the region

Two  sorts  of  fishing  are  pursued  in  the  region.  Tuna  are  almost  entirely  exploited  for
industrial canning and subsequent export to mainland Portugal and some other European
countries,  whereas  various  demersal  species  are  mainly  exported  to  the  European
mainland and the United States.

4

The fish processing sector, which markets the product, provides a very large number of
jobs. In this respect, the tuna canning industry is the most important, representing nearly
90% of the numbers employed in the sector.

Fishing is concentrated in zones at depths of less than 600 metres, which yield virtually
all  the  demersal  species  and  the  pelagic  species,  including  Thunidae.  The  region  thus
depends on only a few fishing grounds, since it has no continental shelf.

The  fleet  consists  of  small  craft  operating  close  inshore  or  in  the  more  distant  zones
where the pelagic stocks  (swordfish or  tuna) are concentrated. The  fishing  gear  used  is
very environment-friendly (rod and line).

The  various  species  covered  by  the  compensation  scheme  are  marketed  with  different
presentations  giving  rise to different  additional  costs.  The  following  presentations  have
been  distinguished:  processed  tuna;  fresh  demersal  species;  frozen  pelagic  species,
processed demersal and pelagic species.

The constraints applying to the sector in the region arise from the need to import plant,
equipment and certain raw materials. It is also necessary to employ specialised expatriate
workers for equipment repair and maintenance. An additional factor is the time required
for delivery of equipment or provision of services, especially in the islands with no direct
air links to the mainland.

Additional  costs  arising  in  marketing  the  various  presentations  have  been  identified  as
follows:

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

air transport of fresh fish;

sea transport of frozen fish by refrigerated container;

sea transport of canned tuna by container;

repair and maintenance of vessels and crew remuneration;

bait acquisition.

Marketing conditions for the species covered by the scheme

For tuna, the scheme is operating satisfactorily, as is clear from the table attached to this
report.  Variations  result  from  the  characteristics  of  this  species  and  also  from  factors
external  to  the  region,  which  have  affected  it  in  recent  years  (climate  changes,  which
affect  the  behaviour  of  the  species,  and  illegal  fishing  practices  in  the  Gulf  of  Guinea,
which deplete the traditionally plentiful  stocks in the region).  At all events, it has been
possible  to  restore  use  of  the  scheme  to  the  levels  provided  for  since  its  inception  by
resorting to the mechanism provided for by Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EC) No
2844/988, in addition to actual catches.

8

Commission  Regulation  (EC)  No  2844/98  of  22  December  1998  laying  down  detailed  rules  for
the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1587/98 – OJ L 354, 30.12.1998

5

                                                
The demersal species chosen for inclusion in the current scheme were those which, at the
time,  were  marketed  in  significant  quantities.  However,  it  became  apparent  from
subsequent  developments  that  a  greater  number  of  species  in  this  category  is  in  fact
marketed, and this is also the case for the category of (small) pelagic species.

For  the  period  1998–2001,  average  annual  landings  of  demersal  and  pelagic  species  in
the region amounted to 5 748 tonnes. It was therefore necessary to adapt the scheme to
the  conditions  (additional  costs)  and  quantities  actually  marketed  and  to  commercial
presentations for marketing the various species.

For  demersal  species,  an  application  was  made  on  the  basis  of  Article  2(6)  of  Council
Regulation  (EC)  No  1587/98,  as  amended  by  Regulation  (EC)  No  579/2002,  for  an
adjustment of the amount for 2002 in view of changes in additional costs and in order to
allow the annual sum allocated for these species to be fully used.

2. Madeira

Madeira is in the north-east Atlantic. If the distances are measured headland-to-headland,
the  nearest  land  is  the  island  of  Las  Palmas,  in  the  Canaries,  at  a  distance  of  about
400 km, Cape Sin, on the African coast, at 625 km and Lisbon, at about 950 km.

This  makes  the  Madeira  island  region  one  of  the  most  outlying  parts  of  the  European
Continent and Community Europe.

The region is an archipelago comprising the inhabited islands of Madeira and Porto Santo
and a number of small islands known as “Desertas” and “Selvagens”.

The  surface  area  of  the  archipelago  is  nearly  779 km².  The  islands  were  volcanically
formed and all have bluff coasts and a hilly relief with steep inclines. Virtually the whole
population lives on the island of Madeira, which is the largest in the group. Only about
34% of its surface can be used for agricultural purposes or other human activities.

The  fishing  sector  workforce  numbers  1 522.  The  activity  is  concentrated  in  a  small
number of areas on the island, where there is very little alternative employment. The craft
used  are  very  small  and  half  the  fleet  is  not  mechanically  powered.  Most  of  the  boats
have  a  short  range,  the  navigation  equipment  is  still  inadequate  and  the  safety  and  on-
board storage conditions are not satisfactory. The fishing gear is very selective. The cold
stores (at five of the nine fishing harbours) freeze the fish intended for the local industry,
while  the  surpluses  are  sent  to  the  canneries  in  the  Azores  and  on  the  Portuguese
mainland.

In the period 1998–1999, the Calheta aquaculture centre was established with cofunding
from the Community under the Poseima programme9. This investment will help to meet
the growing demand for fish and to reduce the fishing pressure on certain local species.
Two aquaculture units are fully operational: one at Baia de Abra and the other at Seixal.

As  regards  tuna,  application  of  the  scheme  has  made  it  possible  to  keep  the  plants  in
operation  on  the  basis  of  local  catches  and  to  buy  raw  material  on  the  Community
market.  In  1998–2001,  the  scheme  was  underused  because  of  the  industry’s  supply

9

Commission Decision of 30 July 1992 (92/448/EEC) - OJ L 248, 28.8.1992

6

                                                
difficulties,  which  were  the  result  of  factors  external  to  the  region,  similar  to  those
encountered  in  the  Azores.  At  all  events,  estimated  deliveries  to  the  industry  in  2002
amount to 4 000 tonnes (the capacity of the plants being about 5 000 tonnes per year).

For black scabbard-fish, there are two filleting plants, which are very successful in terms
of external sales. One of these plants is planning to introduce new packing technologies
and  increase  its  capacity.  In  the  course  of  the  year  2000,  these  plants  handled  about
1 734 tonnes of raw material. There are  also other units of  smaller output. Overall, this
subsector is very promising, since there are other investment projects in the pipeline.

For 1998–2001, average annual landings of this species amounted to 4 261 tonnes.

Mackerel is processed by a plant which employs 50 workers. Application of the scheme
to the species has allowed regular landings and ensured that the five craft which engage
in  this  fishery  are  viable.  In  recent  years,  catches  have  varied  significantly,  forcing  the
industry to obtain supplies from the Portuguese mainland market. The low level of use of
the scheme is connected with recent changes in the migration of the species and with the
fact that the present scheme does not allow the acquisition of raw material from outside
the region or of non-regional origin. At all events, the plant in question has a capacity of
400/500 tonnes  per  year.  In  1998–2001,  average  annual  landings  of  this  species
amounted to 695 tonnes.

The  aquaculture  sector  in  the  region  is  very  promising.  As  already  mentioned,  the
Community  cofunded  the  Calheta  aquaculture  centre.  Another  unit,  which  is  fully
operational, consists of a floating installation. A third unit is also in operation. Estimated
average annual output from this sector is 1 134 tonnes.

3. Canary Islands

The archipelago consists of seven islands divided into two provinces – Las Palmas and
Santa Cruz – and covers a total area of  7 273 km, i.e. 1.44% of Spanish territory.

The  eastern  end  of  the  archipelago  is  115 km  from  the  African  coast  and  its  most
northerly point  is 1 100 km  from Cadiz,  the  nearest  Spanish  port.  Madrid,  which  is  the
main consumer market for fish at 172 000 tonnes per year, is at a distance of 1 600 km.

Fishing  is  very  important  in  the  Canaries  and  is  one  of  the  islands'  basic  economic
resources.  On  certain  islands,  such  as  Lanzarote,  it  is  the  second-most  important
economic activity, after tourism.

The  coasts  of  the  various  islands  are  generally  steep,  with  few  inlets  and  bays.  The
islands are not linked by  any plateau or shelf, and in places the intervening sea is  over
1 000 metres deep. Since the seabed consists of rock and lava, with many craters, it is not
possible to fish by trawling, as is common in other waters.

The  Canaries  fleet  mainly  fishes  in  the  waters  of  non-Community  countries.  For  non-
industrial  fishing,  the  most  productive  resource  is  tuna.  The  deep-sea  fleet  catches
cephalopods, sardine and hake.

Non-renewal of  the fisheries  agreement  between  the  Community  and  Morocco  has  had
very serious effects on the fleet and the related onshore industries.

7

In particular, the sardine sector has suffered heavy losses in  terms  of  infrastructure  and
employment.

The selective methods used in tuna fishing contribute to safeguarding stocks. The level of
catches  in  recent  years  has  been  stable,  apart  from  the  period  in  which  there  was  no
fishing because of non-renewal of the EU/Morocco agreement. The catches are obtained
by a non-industrial fleet operating close inshore and sometimes vary, since the tuna is a
migratory species.

Sardine and mackerel subsector

Since this subsector depended on fishing in Moroccan waters, it is at present virtually at a
standstill and output is much lower than in previous years.

This being so, the only way of supporting the processing industries would be to apply the
compensation scheme to raw material caught by non-Community vessels, supplied to this
industry and sold on the European mainland.

For  “sardines  and  mackerel  for  processing”  and  “aquaculture  products”,  an  application
for adjustment has been made for 2001 and 2002 on the basis of Article 2(6) of Council
Regulation (EC) No 1587/98, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 579/2002, given that
the fleet in the Canary Islands has been unable to produce and market these species as a
result  of  non-renewal  of  the  EU/Morocco  agreement.  These  two  species  have  thus  not
benefited  under  the  compensation  scheme  in  2001  and  2002,  whereas  the  aquaculture
sector has seen its capacity expand over this period.

Aquaculture products

Because  of  the  non-renewal  of  the  fisheries  agreement  with  Morocco,  the  regional
government  created  a  favourable  environment  for  development  of  the  aquaculture
subsector  in  order  to  provide  alternative  employment  and  ensure  socio-economic
stabilisation of the areas most affected by the failure to renew the agreement. Investment
in recent years has thus made it possible for this subsector to expand and for significant
quantities of these products to be used and marketed. In 1999 and 2000, seven new firms
started production, doubling the number of undertakings in this subsector.

According  to  the  competent  authorities,  estimated  output  for  2001  is  2 500 tonnes,
produced by 13 firms with an annual capacity of 3 200 tonnes. In 2002, there were also
16 firms awaiting official authorisation in order to begin production, with a planned total
output  of  3 930 tonnes  per  year.  Average  annual  output  for  the  period  2002–2006  is
estimated at 4 400 tonnes.

Cephalopods and demersal species

This remains  the  most important subsector in the  region in terms of  volume and value.
The catches mainly come from the Canary-Saharan  grounds, between  Cap  Bojador and
Cap  Verde  (in  the  waters  of  Senegal,  Mauritania  and  Guinea-Bissau).  Apart  from
cephalopods,  the  fleet  also  catches  demersal  species  with  the  same  gear.  The  whole  of
this fleet’s catches is sent to external markets, being equally divided between Japan and
the European Union. Half the exports to the EU go to mainland Spain. Output has been
severely curtailed because of the non-renewal of the agreement with Morocco. However,
the fleet has recently redeployed to other fishing grounds which have become available

8

under agreements concluded by the Community in the above region, with the result that
very  good  catch  levels  were  restored,  as  early  as  in  the  course  of  2002.  The  figures
available indicate that production in the first eight months of this year was in the region
of 20 000 tonnes.

4. Guiana

The French Department of Guiana is situated in the equatorial zone between Surinam and
Brazil  and  covers  an  area  of  83 534 km2.  Its  population  is  growing  rapidly  and  is
predominantly young. Most of the population lives on the coast and on the large frontier
rivers, over half in Cayenne.

Guiana's exclusive economic zone covers an area of 130 140 km2. Guiana has a straight,
low coastline, which consists mainly of mangrove forests, broken up by river outlets of
varying size. The continental shelf is extensive (40 000 km²) and slopes gently out to the
open sea. The coastal  environment is conducive to rich fish stocks, which are linked to
the fresh water inflows in the large estuaries. There are also areas which can be trawled.

There are two types of fishery resource in these waters:

– 

– 

shrimps, which are the Department's main fishery product given their abundance
on the continental shelf;

fish, which are mainly  exploited on a  non-industrial basis with “white” fish as
the target species.

The shrimp fishery

The  Guiana  shrimp  fishery  is  the  only  fishing  activity  of  its  kind  in  the  whole
Community and is the third  exporting  industry of the Department, accounting  for more
than  a  quarter  of  export  revenues  and  employing  a  workforce  of  810.  Virtually  all  its
output is exported, 84% to European markets and 12% to markets in the West Indies.

At  the  end  of  2000,  the  fleet  consisted  of  63  freezer  shrimp  trawlers.  Some  of  the
trawling companies have onshore plant for sorting, packaging and dispatch. Some of the
vessels sort, freeze and pack the products on board and others freeze them for packing on
shore.

According  to  the  figures  available,  average  annual  output  for  1998–2000  was
3 660 tonnes. Total catches remained above 4 000 tonnes until 1998. The drop observed
since  1999  was  largely  due  to  a  combination  of  particularly  adverse  natural  conditions
(exceptional  rainfall  in  the  first  half  of  2000).  Conditions  have  been  more  favourable
since the end of this year, allowing a gradual return to the usual level of catches.

Non-industrial fishing for white fish

This  is  inshore  fishing  within  the  12-mile  limit  by  local  fishermen  (self-employed  or
small boat owners) all along the Guiana coast.

This  sector's  workforce  numbers  300  (including  240  crew  members).  Fish  from  non-
industrial fishing (and the by-catches of shrimp trawlers) are processed and sold by local
independent wholesalers and by a cooperative organisation. The volume of fish handled

9

by  these  traders  amounted  to  650 tonnes  in  2000,  of  which  100 tonnes  were  exported
fresh and 500 tonnes frozen. The fresh fish is exported by air to mainland Europe. The
frozen fish is shipped in containers, mainly to Europe and the West Indies.

At the end of 2000, 104 boats were operated by self-employed small-scale fishermen.

The aquaculture sector

From 1993 onwards, there has been a gradual recovery of the ponds and plant established
some years before.

The  firms  and  fish  farmers  now  operating  are  expanding  the  breeding  of  freshwater
prawns, armoured catfish and other species such as ornamental fish and other table fish.

Over  a  dozen  people  are  now  working  directly  in  this  sector.  The  species  of  which
significant  quantities  are  exported  are  freshwater  prawns  and  ornamental  fish.  95%  are
sent to other French Departments in the West Indies and to mainland Europe. According
to  the  figures  available  for  1999,  annual  output  of  prawns  was  23 tonnes  and  that  of
ornamental fish 5 tonnes (1 million individuals, each weighing 5 grams).

5. Réunion

Réunion  is  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  160 km  east  of  Mauritius  and  700 km  west  of
Madagascar.  It  has  an  exclusive  economic  zone  of  318 300 km²,  with  no  continental
shelf.  It  covers  an  area  of  2 570 km²  and  has  a  population  of  710 000,  with  an
unemployment  rate  of  40%.  Réunion  is  9 180 km  from  Paris.  It  is  in  the  centre  of  an
ocean zone with overfished shared stocks of pelagic species.

Today, fishing in Réunion is a thriving industry, which has undergone profound changes
in  the  last  ten  years.  Since  1991,  the  catches,  mainly  of  large  pelagic  fish  (tuna,
swordfish, dolphinfish, marlin) are evidence of a takeoff of the fishing industry. This is
explained  by  sustained  by  small-scale  fishing  around  fish-aggregating  devices,  the
emergence of longlining and the development of Southern Ocean fishing.

There are about a thousand professional workers in the Réunion fishing sector.

Marketing of fishery products outside Réunion is today an economic reality. This sector
has become the island's latest external trade outlet, after sugar cane.

The average annual volume of tuna and swordfish sold outside the island in 1998–2001
was 1 098 tonnes. However, the quantity sold in 1999, 2000 and 2001 exceeded the level
provided  for  by  the  current  scheme  (at  1 168.9 tonnes,  1 641 tonnes  and  1 201 tonnes
respectively).

Of  late,  marlin,  shark  and  dolphinfish  (both  fresh  and  frozen)  have  begun  to  figure
among the species actually marketed and today represent a profitable commercial outlet.
According  to  the  figures  available  for  2001,  34 tonnes  of  marlin  were  marketed,
11.9 tonnes of shark and 6.3 tonnes of dolphinfish.

10

CONCLUSION AND OUTLOOK

Throughout its operation, the scheme has afforded lasting stability which has allowed the
economic players concerned to operate under conditions similar to those enjoyed by their
counterparts  on  the  European  mainland.  The  scheme  has  made  a  contribution  to
maintaining  employment  in  regions  where  there  are  very  few  other  opportunities.  The
benefits these operators have derived from the scheme have enabled the various sectors
concerned  to  maintain  an  adequate  level  of  output  and  development.  The  conditions
giving rise to the additional production costs will not change, since they derive from the
very nature of the outermost regions.

In the regions to which this scheme applies, production and marketing conditions in the
fishing  sector  have  evolved  as  described  in  the  previous  chapters.  Given  this
development,  consideration  should  be  given  to  adapting  the  legal  framework  of  the
scheme, thus ensuring that the goals for which it was established continue to be properly
attained.

11

Quantities  (in  tonnes)  benefiting  from  the  additional  cost  compensation  scheme,  by
region

AZORES

Demersal

Tuna

MADEIRA

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2 312

7 386

1 903

6 832

1 693

5 453

1 462

1 68610

10 000

10 000

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Tuna

Black scabbard-
fish

2 231

0.712

3 450

1 234

187

1 550

69

1 144

2 767

945

Mackerel

204

385

511

0

0

10

The  Portuguese  government  has  applied  for  an  adjustment  for  these  products  under  Article  2(6)  of
Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  1587/98,  as  amended  by  Regulation  (EC)  No  579/2002.  This  seeks  to
ensure better use of the amounts assigned for these products, given the rise in their respective additional
costs. The application relates to the year 2002.

12

                                                
CANARIES

1998

1999

Tuna, fresh

10 094

10 676

Tuna, frozen

8

102

Sardine and
mackerel, frozen

2 788

1 047

2000

2 923

1

551

11 969

10 574

0

2001

5 217

0

448

0

2002

2 868

357

011

Sardine and
mackerel,
processed

Aquaculture
products

Cephalopods,
sole & seabream

GUIANA

455

422

869

1 300

1 300

25 000

25 000

10 974

9 450

8 601

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Shrimps

4 200

3 653

2 653

2 694

3 068

REUNION

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Tuna/

562

1 000

1 000

1 000

883

swordfish

11

The Spanish government has applied for an adjustment for these products under Article 2(6) of Council
Regulation (EC) No 1587/98, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 579/2002. This seeks to ensure better
use  of  the  amounts  assigned  for  these  products,  given  the  rise  in  aquaculture  output.  The  application
relates to the years 2001 and 2002.

13