Brussels, 29/11/2004 (Agence Europe) - The EU and the Comoros Islands have signed a new partnerships agreement on tuna fishing, which will replace the current framework agreement which entered into force in 1988. The parties have also set the details of the new six-year protocol (starting from 1 January 2005) to the new generation fishing agreement. Compared to the protocol currently in force (from 28 February 2001 to 27 February 2004 then extended until the end of 2004), the number of ships (Spanish, French and Italian) fishing for tuna in the waters of these islands is reduced from 65 to 57: 40 tuna seiners (unchanged) and 17 long-liners (compared to 25 today). Annual financial compensation will amount to 390,000 EUR (against 350,250 under the current protocol), of which 60% will go to targeted measures (responsible fishing and conservation of resources). The price to be paid by European ship-builders increased 50%: 3,375 EUR for the owner of a tuna seiner and 2,065 EUR for long-liner owners. Fishing possibilities and technical measures were decided upon in line with the most recent scientific opinions and with the rules of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) (a regional fishing organisation which has been managing tuna stocks and other members of the tuna family in the Indian Ocean and adjacent areas since 1993).