These tuna boats are, furthermore, damaging the sea bed and the local fishing industry's nets by caging their live catches, intended for fattening, these cages are then dragged, at depths of up to 35 metres, to their destination, in the process destroying the fishing lines and nets of the local small-scale fishermen.

In this Communication we define rights-based management (RBM) as a formalised system of allocating individual fishing rights to fishermen, fishing vessels, enterprises, cooperatives or fishing communities.

2. The EFF may contribute to individual premiums to fishers younger than 40 years who can demonstrate that they have worked at least five years as fishers or have equivalent professional training and who acquire for the first time part or total ownership of a fishing vessel of less than 24 metres in overall length which is equipped to go fishing at sea and is between 5 to 30 years old.

non-renewable compensation to fishers who have worked on board a vessel for at least 12 months as fishers, provided the fishing vessel on which the beneficiaries have worked has been the object of permanent cessation of fishing activities within the meaning of Article 23.

Fishermen who use traditional, environmentally sound fishing equipment (as is the case with Almeria's long-line fleet) are in a serious plight: they are the victims of unfair competition from certain vessels (French and Italian ones in particular) which use the banned though much cheaper drift nets and at the same time they suffer on account of the environmental damage caused by such practices, which result in a 40% reduction in catches.

The mid-term review provided the opportunity to adapt the programmes to the requirements of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy in particular regarding the discontinuation of aid for the renewal of fishing vessels and the permanent transfer of Community vessels to non-member countries, which is no longer allowed from 2005; changes in the terms and conditions for aid from Member States to fishermen and ship owners who temporarily cease their fishing activity; changes in the aid for the retraining of fishermen which is widened to include diversification into other activities while they continue to fish part-time.