Brussels, 05/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 31 October 2007, the European Commission adopted a proposal amending the current protocol annexed to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Seychelles. The EU-Seychelles joint committee meeting of January 2007 agreed to amend the protocol, discussing the amendments at a meeting on 20-21 March 2007. It was agreed to increase the reference tonnage from 55,000 tonnes to 63,000 tonnes and to increase the share of support paid by EU shipowners from €25 to €35 per tonne. The total financial compensation paid by the EU will therefore rise from €4.125m to €5.355m and the estimated fee payable by shipowners from €1.375m to €2.205m. The revised protocol will provisionally apply from 18 January 2008 onwards, pending full entry into force at a later date. There is no change in the allocation of fishing opportunities granted to EU ships: 40 tuna seiners (22 Spanish, 17 French and 1 Italian) and 12 surface longliners (5 French, 5 Spanish and 2 Portuguese). The new EU-Seychelles fisheries agreement covers the period from 18 January 2005 to 17 January 2011 and was formally adopted by the Council early in 2006 (see EUROPE 9119). (L.C.)