The Spanish government has announced EUR 25 million (USD 29 million) in aid to its commercial fishing fleet as part of a EUR 877 million (USD 1 billion) package designed to offset higher fuel costs and other challenges created by the ongoing Iran war.
“The increase in energy prices also affects the fishing sector, both directly through fuel costs and through its impact on other production costs such as packaging for freezing fish. Furthermore, the closure of airspace hinders crew rotation on Spanish vessels operating in international waters,” Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food said in a release.
The EUR 25 million will be distributed based on the activity and daily fuel consumption of individual vessels as well as weekly fuel costs, the government said in a release. Whether vessels are primarily operating in national or international waters will also be a factor.
Other measures of fisheries support in the package is an increase in credit subsidies for the agriculture and fisheries sectors up to EUR 300 million (USD 347 million) and an exemption from the nation's fresh fish tax through 30 June.
The announcement comes shortly after the chair of the European Union’s Fisheries Committee called for the bloc to provide more support for its commercial fishers, who were struggling with high fuel prices caused by the Iran war.
“The current geopolitical context, especially instability in the Middle East and rising oil prices, is having a direct impact on the European fisheries sector. Fuel represents one of the largest operating costs of the fleet, so the continued increase in prices is putting at risk the economic viability of many vessels,” Fisheries Committee Chair Carmen Crespo Díaz said in a release. “If this situation continues, many vessels could be forced to halt their activity, with serious consequences for employment in coastal communities and for the supply of seafood on the European market.”
Fishing industry group Europêche made a similar call for government support.
“The situation is becoming unsustainable for many fishing operators,” Europêche President Javier Garat said in a release. "If fuel prices remain at current levels, many vessels will be forced to stop operating. This would not only affect the livelihoods of fishermen and coastal communities but could also disrupt the supply of seafood to European markets."
