Boatowners Want Measures To Cope With High Fuel Prices ff
18 July 2005
European Union Fisheries organizations have expressed their concerned about the damaging consequences for the fisheries sector derived from the continued increase in fuel prices that is currently taking place.
The sector has complained over the “failure of the EC to propose concrete and immediate measures to face the unsustainable rise in the price of diesel for fisheries.†The sector have expressed their deep concern in an open letter to authorities of the European Commission (EC), theEuropean Parliament (EP) and Member States.
Boatowners have decided to moor their vessels in their demand for the EC to take urgent and long-term structural measures to palliate the economic impact of the increasing fuel prices.
They propose re-equipping vessels with other fishing methods requiring less energy, as well as granting compensations to fishers and vessel owners for the temporary suspension of activities due to the fuel crisis.
Moreover, they suggest allocating public funds to research the possibilities of using other energy sources other than diesel. They also propose implementing a “compensating tariff system for fish imports from certain third countries where diesel prices are lower than in the EU market, and illegal fishing, social, and environmental dumping is practiced.â€
The fishing sector has taken such a decision given the EC did not respond to their request for support. They will also put pressure on the Ministers of Fishery at the European Union (EU) who today, Monday July 18th holding a meeting to discuss several issues, one of them being the increase of fuel prices. Already in June, the European boatowners had met with EC representatives requesting to increase the EUR 3,000 per company limit for de minimis aid, up to EUR 100,000 over a three-year period. However there has been no answer so far.
According to Javier Garat General Secretariat for the Spanish Federation of Fishing Organizations (FEOPE), fishing companies have began to experience financial losses since the fuel price exceeded 0.28 euro per liter. At this moment the average fuel price in Spain is exceeding 0.42 euro.
“Currently the Spanish fleet consists of 14,300 ships and its survival has been put at stake and 55,000 fishermen working places as well. Furthermore, 250,000 families depend directly or not, on the fishing industry. Also a number of boatowners have decided to keep their vessels at port to avoid loosing more moneyâ€, Mr. Garat said.
Two days ago, the Spanish Federation of Fishing Organizations (FEOPE), the National Organization of Spanish Fishing Associations (ONAPE), the Spanish Federation of Fishing Ship-owners (FEABP) and the Spanish Association of Ship-owners of Cephalopod Freezing Vessels (ANACEF), have decided to join the public demonstration of the European fishing sector taking place in Brussels September 19th when the EU Council meeting will be held.
This way the Spanish fishing sector will join the rest of the European fishing sectors on their initiative by closing all the fishing markets on September 19th 2005.
