The Secretary of State for the Sea, Hervé Berville, confirmed on Saturday the end of financial support granted to fishermen for the purchase of diesel, in an interview with Ouest-France and TV Rennes. Asked about this diesel aid which must end on October 15, Hervé Berville replied: “As in other sectors, it will stop because we must return to a form of normality, while supporting our fishermen.”
“We were very clear, with the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister at the Agricultural Show, there had to be a takeover by private actors (…) Because since the start of the This year, we help the [fishing] industry to organize itself; In the end, it’s French taxpayer’s money,” continues the Secretary of State.
Hervé Berville also puts forward some ideas for overcoming current difficulties, about which fishing companies are sounding the alarm: “We must prepare for the future. You have to make group purchases or forward purchases. When the price is low, you have to stock up for the next six months, when the price of fuel may have increased,” he explains. “We have reached an amount which is 75 million in fuel aid (…) We cannot extend this aid because the European regime which allowed this aid stops this year (…) This is not “It is not up to the State to constantly replace the responsibility of all those involved in the sector,” he said.
According to several arms owners in Brittany, the cost of diesel today represents around 40% of turnover. Fishing companies currently receive aid of 20 cents per liter of diesel, but this is capped per company. It must end on October 15, 2023. The Fisheries and Seafood Conference, the industry’s annual meeting, will be held in Nice on September 21 and 22.