28/02/2022 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 28 February, the European Commission authorised five French aid schemes aimed at renewing the fishing fleets in five overseas departments. These schemes, worth a total of €63.8 million (Guyana: €17 million; Guadeloupe: €16.2 million; Martinique: €16.2 million; Mayotte: €7.5 million; Réunion: €6.9 million) will be in place until 31 December 2025 (Martinique), 31 December 2026 (Mayotte and Guadeloupe) and 31 December 2027 (Réunion and Guyana) respectively. The beneficiaries are the fishermen who will operate the fishing vessels in all these overseas departments. The state aid is necessary because of the age of the current fleets and the lack of attractiveness of the sector. The French authorities must demonstrate that there is a balance between the fishing capacity and the fishing possibilities of the fleet segment of the outermost region. (LC)