The Spanish fishing fleet will remain moored until next Wednesday due to the rise in fuel prices | Economy

The Spanish fishing fleet will remain moored in port due to the rise in fuel prices until next Wednesday, when representatives of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds are scheduled to hold a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas. This was stated this Friday night in a press release by the organization before the “very serious moment” that the fishing sector is suffering due to the rise in fuel prices.

“The sustainability of the fishing sector is right now in the hands of Minister Luis Planas and we expect forceful and immediate proposals if not the fishing sector is going to sink,” the statement said. The president of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds, Basilio Otero, has called for “firm, forceful or immediate proposals.” The strike affects some 200 brotherhoods and 40,000 members, of which 9,000 are boat owners.

The Ministry of Fisheries is committed to European measures to try to alleviate the costs suffered by the sector due to the rise in fuel prices. “Diesel has overwhelmed us. We don’t want going to the sea to mean only paying for fuel,” Otero assured this Thursday on the Spanish television program La Hora. Likewise, he explained that the sector has requested aid for the payment of Social Security or port taxes. The National Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds also regrets that European funds have been left unused. Fishing fleets from various areas and some fish markets had already paralyzed their activity.

The carriers’ strike, which has also been motivated by the rise in fuel prices, has caused a shortage of fresh products and the closure of several factories. This stoppage of the fleet will be a new added problem. At the moment, supermarkets have only seen a shortage of oil, flour and some more specific products such as mussels or strawberries. The dairy and steel industries have suffered the consequences of the strike and several factories have had to stop production.