A new extension. The financial assistance granted to fishermen to cope with soaring fuel prices has been extended “until February 2023” when it was to end on November 15, announced on Friday the State Secretariat responsible for the Sea in a press release.
This aid was put in place in March 2022 by the previous government of Jean Castex, as part of the “resilience plan” aimed at helping companies cope with the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine. Originally due to expire at the end of July, it has been extended several times.
“Its amount will remain 25 cents (excluding taxes) per liter of diesel” and “will represent a financial commitment from the State which may represent up to more than 20 million euros, in addition to the 45 million euros budgeted until then”, it is specified.
More companies involved
The amount of aid that can be granted to each fishing company has just been raised by the European Commission. This ceiling, “which was 65,000 euros in July and which had been raised for the first time to 105,000 euros, now goes to 330,000 euros per fishing company”, it is underlined. “This increase will make it possible to open access to fuel aid to more vessels and will therefore be able to fully apply to fishing companies with several vessels, which were hitherto excluded from it”, indicates the secretariat of State in charge of the Sea.
These announcements are “likely to reassure fishermen for an end of the year often full of uncertainties”, at a time when catch quotas in European Union waters are being negotiated for 2023, welcomed in a press release the national fisheries committee CNPEM, “satisfied”.
In parallel with this public aid and in the face of a crisis that is settling in over time, the government is calling on “the entire fishing industry” to “take over from this public support”. The Secretary of State, Hervé Berville, has in particular repeatedly asked large retailers to contribute more widely to an envelope intended to support French fishing professionals. This “solidarity mechanism based on private funds (…) is more necessary than ever to strengthen the competitiveness of the sector and its sustainability, the proposals made to date not being up to the challenges”, regrets the secretariat of State.