(BRUSSELS) - Spain, Poland and Italy reeled in the best catches from the 3.8-billion-euro (5.1-billion-dollar) European Fisheries Fund for 2007-2013, the EU's executive arm announced on Tuesday.

Last June the European Union decided to set up a new system for community aid to the fishing industry, aimed at modernising and diversifying the sector threatened by shrinking stocks of several species.

The fund's main priorities include helping fishing fleets to adapt to available fish resources, providing support to the various industry branches such as aquaculture, processing, marketing, and promoting sustainable development in fisheries-dependent areas.

Spain will receive a total of just over one billion euros from the fund, followed by Poland (651 million euros), Italy (376 million euros) and Portugal (218 million).

Those are followed by EU newcomer Romania (202 million) and France (191 million).

Germany is allocated 138 million euros and Britain 122 million euros.

It is up to Member States to propose how they will allocate funds between the various priorities. The Commission will then approve the programmes, after having ensured that they are in line with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy.

"I encourage Member States to ensure that their national strategies and operational programmes are forwarded to the Commission as soon as possible so that there are no delays in the allocation of EFF aid to their industries or fishing communities.", Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and European Affairs remarked.

Funding will be available for all sectors of the industry, including sea and inland fisheries, aquaculture businesses and the processing and marketing sectors.

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