The larger fishing operators in Brittany have opted to suspend activity and are calling on the French government to step in with more effective support measures.
CRPMEM Bretagne (The Brittany Fisheries Committee) states that several major operators will in the next day bring fishing activity to a halt and lay up vessels. This includes several dozen trawlers that work extended trips and supply key fish markets in the region.
‘This is a first warning shot for the entire French fishing and seafood industry. This initiative is part of a broader movement, following the call by the National Fisheries Committee, after its extraordinary meeting, for the industry to strike tomorrow (Wednesday) from 1200 to 1500 in protest,’ a CRPMEM Bretagne representative said, commenting that the soaring cost of fuel (up 100% in one month) no longer allows these vessels to operate on a viable basis.
‘The fishing industry is particularly vulnerable to the increase in diesel prices because fishermen do not control the sale price of their catches and therefore cannot pass on the increased production costs to the price of the fish sold. This results in decreasing crew earnings. Under these conditions, going to sea means working at a loss.’
CRPMEM states that the €0.20/litre aid package already announced for the month of April and opportunities to defer loans are insufficient to consider continuing operations.
‘Breton fishermen are asking the government and the European Union for immediate measures to allow a return to sea under economically viable conditions, with a calibration of support mechanisms that must be adapted to the most affected vessels, an adaptation of European rules, including raising the ceilings for aid meet the needs of the most vulnerable defense industries, and long-term support,’ CRPMEM’s representative said.
‘Without a swift response, the entire sector is threatened with being paralysed, which entails unprecedented economic and social repercussions.’
