French fishermen ignore aid promise and block ports
PARIS (Reuters) - French fishermen battling for cheaperfuel ignored calls by the government to lift their blockades ofports on Friday and found new ways to disrupt traffic on landand at sea.
The fishermen say they will go bust unless they obtaindiscounted diesel at 40 euro cents ($0.6) per litre as opposedto 80 euro cents on the market. The price of marine diesel hassurged by 30 percent in the past four months.
Fishermen have been blockading ports and fuel depots formore than a week and their protest has gradually escalateddespite a government promise to provide 110 million euros (87.4million pounds) in aid this year. The fishermen have dismissedthe measure as insignificant.
"What the grassroots want is to pay 40 cents a litre fordiesel at the pump, nothing else will do," said David Bourrel,a fisherman from Paimpol in Brittany, just after a meeting withAgriculture and Fisheries Minister Michel Barnier in theregion.
Over 30 fishing boats left the northern port of Boulogne onFriday morning, sailing side by side and very slowly to impedetraffic on one of the busiest shipping lines in the Channel.
On the outskirts of Caen in Normandy, fishermen raided twofish wholesalers, throwing out all the supplies and damagingequipment.
Late on Thursday, about 40 fishermen in Arcachon in thesouthwest had looted three supermarkets, distributing fish forfree as part of the protest movement.
Oil firm Total reported sporadic supply problems in somefilling stations in the south of the country, where two fueldepots have been under siege for days. Authorities said theproblems were mainly due to panic buying by motorists.
EU CONSTRAINTS
Barnier renewed his call for the protests to stop,promising that the government would not abandon the fishermen.
"We will maintain our support, one way or another," Barniersaid in an interview on television channel France 2 beforetravelling to Brittany to meet angry fishermen.
The government does not have a free hand in the matter asdirect state aid to a sector that competes with other Europeanfishermen could fall foul of European Union regulations.
Barnier has submitted a series of proposals to Brussels butthe European Commission has yet to give its green light.
"The Commission will not veto our aid because it is socialin nature and aimed at individuals, it does not amount tosupporting companies," Barnier said.
"I need fishermen to resume work," he said, promising 40million euros would be handed out by June 15.
The fishing industry employs an estimated 24,000 people inFrance and provides an extra 70,000 jobs in related sectors.
It is very difficult for fishermen to pass on the risingcost of diesel to consumers because they face stiff competitionfrom importers, who provide 85 percent of French domestic fishconsumption. Also, fresh fish is sold by auction so fishermencannot control the price.
Depleted fish stocks close to the coast and fishing quotashave compounded the fuel problem, forcing fishing boats to sailfurther and further out to sea.
(Additional reporting by Pierre Henri Allain, PierreSavary, Claude Canellas, Gerard Bon and Muriel Boselli)
(Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)