Fishing industry reeling from fuel costs

8:15am Saturday 7th June 2008

Pembrokeshire'S fishing industry has been hit on two fronts by the rising price of fuel: the cost of fishing has risen dramatically and some of the most vital export markets have been virtually closed off to their product.

Jeremy Percy, CEO of the Welsh Federation of Fishermens Associations, explained that Welsh fishermen could not increase prices to cover costs and many were at risk of losing their businesses.

"The vast majority of fish landed in Wales is sold by auction in England where fishermen have no control over the price paid," said Mr Percy.

"The French fishermen, also suffering from the effect of fuel prices, have taken their usual robust' approach and are blocking entry of shipments as well as pressuring French wholesale buyers not to buy British shellfish.

"There are reports that French fishermen have been removing anything other than their own fish and shellfish from retailers and giving it away to the public."

Oneida Viviers, based in Neyland, transports shellfish caught in Wales to the continent. The company is having to contend with rising fuel prices for the boats they buy from and the trucks they use to transport their product as well as the French barricades and low shellfish prices.

Instead of travelling directly to France, Oneida's trucks have been forced to divert through Belgium.

"It's the stuff of nightmares at the moment," said the company director, Nerys Edwards.

"A third of our product goes into France and we've not been able to ship out at all. We haven't been making a profit, we've just kept going to keep the fishermen going."

Two of the 54 boats Nerys buys from have already stopped fishing and, without any help from the Government or the larger retailers, she expects that number to rise.

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