By Estelle Shirbon
PARIS (Reuters) - French fishermen battling for cheaperfuel ignored calls by the government to lift their blockades ofports and fuel depots on Friday and found new ways to disrupttraffic on land and at sea.
The fishermen say they will go bust unless they obtaindiscounted diesel at 40 euro cents (32 pence) per litre asopposed to 80 euro cents on the market. The price of marinediesel has surged by 30 percent in the past four months.
The fishermen's protests have been escalating for a weekand a government promise on Wednesday to provide 110 millioneuros in aid this year has failed to stop them.
"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.
Fishermen used barbed wire to block roads leading to a fueldepot linked to France's biggest refinery at Gonfreville inNormandy, officials at oil firm Total said. Two other fueldepots, at La Rochelle in the west and Port-La-Nouvelle in thesouth, were still under siege.
Total, which has about 60 fuel depots around the country,has reported sporadic supply problems at some filling stations,which authorities have blamed on panic buying by motorists.
More than 30 fishing boats left the northern port ofBoulogne on Friday morning, sailing slowly side by side toimpede traffic on one of the busiest shipping lane in theChannel.
On the outskirts of Caen in Normandy, fishermen raided twofish wholesalers, throwing out supplies and damaging equipment.
Also in Normandy, protesters prevented officials at atollgate on a major bridge crossing the Seine River fromcollecting payment from motorists, disrupting traffic.
EU CONSTRAINTS
Barnier renewed his call for the protests to stop,promising 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 Alison Williams)
