Fishermen warn of new protests

THE Presidents of the Balearic and Spanish Federations of Fishermen's Associations, Antonio Riera and Juan Cervantes respectively, yesterday warned the Secretary General for Fisheries, Juan Carlos Martin, of the possibility of new industrial action in the sector because of the rise in the price of fuel. Cervantes said that when they reached an agreement last October with the national Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) to establish a fuel aid programme, the average price of their fuel per litre was around 0.39 euros but now it has risen to 0.49 euros, a rise of 25 percent. “The fishermen don't want to take industrial action”, said Cervantes. However, he went on to say that calling protests to demand new measures from the national Government to compensate them for the rise in costs will depend on the initiatives taken by the different associations and urged MAPA to speed up the payment of the promised aid.