AS David Guillot, owner of trawler, said that the rocketing fuel costs take his business to the edge pf unviability. He added that the trawlers are cutting corners wherever they can to save costs, but their company might not be sustainable. He sees further increase in the price of fish to make it sustainable which is bad for the industry. Some trawlers have also begun to talk about imposing a fuel tax on their crews’ share of the catch.
Industry sources said that in the past seven months, he says, fuel costs have risen 25 percent and now account for almost 40 percent of running costs, with wages making up a further 50 percent. Five years ago fuel costs would have been 10 percent of turnover. Like Europe the fishermen of Australia also angry that a federal fuel subsidy is fixed at 38c a litre, rather than rising as a proportion of costs.
According to Guillot, many commercial fishermen are now either just covering costs, or losing money, while remaining in the business. Adding to the woes the fishing quotas have been reduced by 30-40 percent under environmental pressure, while costs rising continuously, and including a government levy on every fish caught in the ocean.
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