Greek fishermen have stepped up protests over rising operating costs, with dozens of fishing boats gathering at the port of Piraeus on Monday and industry representatives warning of wider nationwide action.
The fishermen are calling for immediate government support, with fuel subsidies their main demand as the cost of marine diesel has risen sharply in recent months.
The boats gathered at Gate E1, near the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, after setting off shortly after 10 a.m. from the Keratsini fish market, one of the country’s main wholesale fish markets.
A six-member delegation met with the ministry’s secretary-general, who pledged to convey their demands to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.
The docking fishing vessels in Piraeus comes as fishermen continue their protests in Thessaloniki’s old waterfront, having set up an indefinite blockade at the fish market in Nea Michaniona, a fishing town in northern Greece. The move was aimed at preventing traders from bringing in imported fish while Greek fishing activity remains suspended.
The fishermen are also calling for support measures comparable to those available to the fishing sector in other European Union countries. They say the sharp rise in fuel costs, combined with insufficient financial support, is making it increasingly difficult to operate.
‘It is now a matter of survival’
Fishermen say operating a vessel has become prohibitively expensive, with fuel costs, fishing equipment and maintenance all rising.
Giannis Floros, the owner of a trawler, said the sector had traditionally not organized strikes or protests but had now reached a point where action was necessary.
He said European funds intended for the fishing sector had not reached fishermen and should instead be used, at least in part, to subsidize fuel.
Floros said the amount he spent on fuel for one day of fishing had risen from about 550 euros last year to around 1,450 euros now.
The fishermen point to Italy, France and other EU countries, where they say fishing has received fuel-related subsidies.
“We want what the rest of Europe received,” said Kostas Daoultzis from Nea Michaniona, a fishing town in northern Greece. He called for fishermen in Greece to receive support from the European Fisheries and Maritime Fund comparable to subsidies provided elsewhere in Europe.
Fishermen cite wider problems
The protests are not limited to fuel prices, according to representatives of Greece’s coastal fishing sector.
Panagioris Perrakis, president of the Volos Fishing Association, said coastal fishermen had been raising concerns for two years and faced a range of problems, including fuel costs, damage caused by marine mammals, plankton, Turkish fishing vessels, electronic invoicing requirements and cash registers.
Coastal fishing vessels in Greece generally range from 5 to 14 meters, he said, while larger vessels face significantly higher operating costs.
The fishermen also accuse Turkish fishing vessels of unfair competition and say they are heavily subsidized by the Turkish state.
Ioannis Kardoulias from Kalymnos said Turkish trawlers and purse seiners receive fuel subsidies that allow them to operate in the Aegean and compete with Greek fishermen.
The fishermen also link the issue to maritime security and Greece’s broader foreign policy, arguing that fishing vessels operating in the Aegean are affected by tensions between Greece and Turkey.
Nationwide shutdown planned for October 11
Fishermen have warned that their protests could escalate if the government does not take concrete action, potentially leading to broader mobilizations similar to the recent nationwide protests and road blockades organized by Greek farmers.
They have announced a nationwide shutdown of fishing activities on October 11, along with a march to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the Maximos Mansion, the official office of the Greek prime minister.
The fishermen say they will not back down unless they meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the ministers responsible for the sector to discuss sustainable solutions to their demands.
