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Saw this tonight ... looks like we got some catching up to do !!
Fuel protests paralyse European fishing fleet
By Ben Harding Reuters - Friday, May 30 06:02 pm
MADRID (Reuters) - Fishermen across Europe stayed in port on Friday in growing protests against rising fuel prices that paralysed much of the continent's fishing fleet.
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In Madrid, Spanish fishermen handed out 20 tonnes of free fish they said was practically worthless anyway because of rock bottom prices eroded by soaring costs.
Almost the entire Spanish fleet -- by far the biggest in Europe -- remained in port on Friday, said Javier Garat, the secretary general of Spanish fishermen's federation Cepesca.
"People can't take any more and are protesting because governments and the (European) Commission are not taking action," he told Reuters.
"In the next two weeks I'm convinced that there will be a widespread stoppage. I expect that the European fleet will be tied up for the next 15-20 days."
In France, protests that have already lasted two weeks, rumbled on as fishermen from several Normandy ports blockaded Le Havre in Brittany and others briefly blocked access to several fuel depots and refineries in the Bouches du Rhone area.
Truckers, farmers and fishermen have protested at the cost of oil, which rose back over $127 a barrel on Friday.
In Italy, thousands more fishermen went on strike, shutting down the industry on both its main coasts.
"If we don't get any results it will be open war. We are tired, we are tired of working 80 hour weeks without earning a penny," one fisherman told Italian television.
Portugal's fleet also remained in port.
"We have reached our limit, neither fishing companies nor fishermen have any income so if the country thinks it can do without fish, let it say so," Humberto Jorge, head of a regional association of fishing companies, told news agency Lusa.
The Portuguese, some of Europe's biggest fish eaters, face shortages of 50 tonnes of fish at supermarkets and at restaurants for every day the fleet stays in port.
FISH SHORTAGES
However supermarkets are unlikely to be badly affected in the short term because 70 percent of fish consumed within the EU comes from outside the area. Independent fishmongers will be worse off.
"There is still fish in the ports, there is still fish in stock at the fish shops, but there will be shortages in four or five days," said Madrid fishmonger Angel Gonzalez.
Scottish fishermen -- accounting for 70 percent of the UK catch -- did not strike, nor did their Belgian counterparts, but both have held talks with their governments over mounting costs.
Bertie Armstrong, head of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said optimism among his members after EU fishing talks at the start of the year had been dashed. A medium-sized trawler on a 10-day trip now spent 30,000 pounds ($60,000) on fuel against 15,000 ($30,000) 12 months ago, he said.
Outside the fisheries ministry in Madrid, crowds scrambled for the fish being handed out from the back of two small trucks.
Clutching two glistening hake, Maria Angeles Escribano said she would be more careful to buy Spanish fish from now on, even though some prices had doubled at her fishmongers.
On top of a 10-day strike, some in the crowd, estimated at 10,000 by organisers, threatened to follow the French and block harbours or intercept imports.
"From Monday we are going to control the entry of refrigerated containers and everything inside them," said David Lomba, a 27-year-old fisherman who had travelled for eight hours from La Guarda near the Galician port of Pontevedra.
Asked how the fishermen would do that, Lomba said: "By every means possible. They shall not pass."
In La Rochelle, France, one fisherman locked himself up in a port office, fired several pistol shots and threatened to kill himself. Witnesses said he was angry that some fishing boats had decided to end the strike. Police disarmed the man unhurt.
There's always a Payback .... Ya just never ever see it Comin !!!!
Fuel protests paralyse European fishing fleet
By Ben Harding Reuters - Friday, May 30 06:02 pm
MADRID (Reuters) - Fishermen across Europe stayed in port on Friday in growing protests against rising fuel prices that paralysed much of the continent's fishing fleet.
(Advertisement)
In Madrid, Spanish fishermen handed out 20 tonnes of free fish they said was practically worthless anyway because of rock bottom prices eroded by soaring costs.
Almost the entire Spanish fleet -- by far the biggest in Europe -- remained in port on Friday, said Javier Garat, the secretary general of Spanish fishermen's federation Cepesca.
"People can't take any more and are protesting because governments and the (European) Commission are not taking action," he told Reuters.
"In the next two weeks I'm convinced that there will be a widespread stoppage. I expect that the European fleet will be tied up for the next 15-20 days."
In France, protests that have already lasted two weeks, rumbled on as fishermen from several Normandy ports blockaded Le Havre in Brittany and others briefly blocked access to several fuel depots and refineries in the Bouches du Rhone area.
Truckers, farmers and fishermen have protested at the cost of oil, which rose back over $127 a barrel on Friday.
In Italy, thousands more fishermen went on strike, shutting down the industry on both its main coasts.
"If we don't get any results it will be open war. We are tired, we are tired of working 80 hour weeks without earning a penny," one fisherman told Italian television.
Portugal's fleet also remained in port.
"We have reached our limit, neither fishing companies nor fishermen have any income so if the country thinks it can do without fish, let it say so," Humberto Jorge, head of a regional association of fishing companies, told news agency Lusa.
The Portuguese, some of Europe's biggest fish eaters, face shortages of 50 tonnes of fish at supermarkets and at restaurants for every day the fleet stays in port.
FISH SHORTAGES
However supermarkets are unlikely to be badly affected in the short term because 70 percent of fish consumed within the EU comes from outside the area. Independent fishmongers will be worse off.
"There is still fish in the ports, there is still fish in stock at the fish shops, but there will be shortages in four or five days," said Madrid fishmonger Angel Gonzalez.
Scottish fishermen -- accounting for 70 percent of the UK catch -- did not strike, nor did their Belgian counterparts, but both have held talks with their governments over mounting costs.
Bertie Armstrong, head of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said optimism among his members after EU fishing talks at the start of the year had been dashed. A medium-sized trawler on a 10-day trip now spent 30,000 pounds ($60,000) on fuel against 15,000 ($30,000) 12 months ago, he said.
Outside the fisheries ministry in Madrid, crowds scrambled for the fish being handed out from the back of two small trucks.
Clutching two glistening hake, Maria Angeles Escribano said she would be more careful to buy Spanish fish from now on, even though some prices had doubled at her fishmongers.
On top of a 10-day strike, some in the crowd, estimated at 10,000 by organisers, threatened to follow the French and block harbours or intercept imports.
"From Monday we are going to control the entry of refrigerated containers and everything inside them," said David Lomba, a 27-year-old fisherman who had travelled for eight hours from La Guarda near the Galician port of Pontevedra.
Asked how the fishermen would do that, Lomba said: "By every means possible. They shall not pass."
In La Rochelle, France, one fisherman locked himself up in a port office, fired several pistol shots and threatened to kill himself. Witnesses said he was angry that some fishing boats had decided to end the strike. Police disarmed the man unhurt.
There's always a Payback .... Ya just never ever see it Comin !!!!
, time to panic buy and stock up on food and fuel. 
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