SPANISH FISHERS REQUEST FUEL SUBSIDY HELP

Spanish fishers request fuel subsidy help. The Spanish fishing sector is once again requesting its Government to include the Spanish deep-sea fleet among the beneficiaries of the discount of 20 euro cents per litre of diesel , just as citizens and economic sectors are entitled to it, including national fleets in the fishing sector, to deal with the crisis in operating costs caused by the war in Ukraine and, in particular, those derived from rising fuel prices.

In the opinion of the sector, represented by CEPESCA, the non-inclusion of this fleet is contributing to its weakening and, consequently, to that of our food sovereignty, in favour of other third parties that, paradoxically, can benefit from that bonus if they refuel at facilities Spanish.

A press release on the CEPESCA website states:

“In addition, there is the circumstance that this fleet , which operates in the waters of other EU countries, third countries and international fishing grounds, is not entitled to this discount, even though the supplier is a Spanish company and on the invoice of the operation reflects two Tax Identification Codes (CIF) of our country .

“Despite attempts by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to convince the Tax Agency that Spanish ships supplying diesel outside of Spain should receive the discount, the AEAT is interpreting that the Royal Decree Law does not includes seizures made by Spanish ships abroad .

“Therefore, the sector urges the Government to instruct the AEAT to include these fleets and, if this is not possible, to adopt an urgent measure to support this fleet , as stated by Félix Bolaños, Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Courts and Democratic Memory, in his defense of RD/Law 6/2022 of March 29, in the Congress of Deputies, on the possibility of taking additional measures that were necessary. The sector also calls on all political groups to introduce amendments that contemplate and correct this situation in the processing of the law retroactively.

“The fishing sector, through Cepesca, again describes this exclusion as “meaningless”, unfair and discriminatory, according to its criteria, taking into account the impossibility of determining the duration of the current price situation and the recovery and recovery time. return to normality of the hydrocarbon markets, once the armed conflict is over and in a context of high inflation.

“The sector states that this fleet has been operating in these circumstances for more than two months and that the operating margins are beginning to “suffocate” the profitability of its activity . In fact, and according to the sector, there are already fleets, such as the Spanish freezer trawler that operates from Montevideo, that are considering ceasing their activity before the end of this semester, after finishing the squid campaign. This fleet, which, despite refuelling through Spanish companies, has to pay for fuel at 1,380 euros per litre, or 1,440 euros in the case of refuelling on the high seas, has also been affected by the blockades of the fuel markets Belarus and Ukraine to the hubsi hake, also caught by her, and with an impact of 17 million euros.

“It should be remembered that we have tuna or trawler vessels that have fuel tanks that can reach a million litres , already accounting for more than 50% of operating costs.

“To this is added, the sector points out, the strong competitiveness to which our long-distance fleet is subjected compared to other fleets , such as the Asian ones, which, without meeting the same quality, socio-economic and environmental standards that are required in Europe, they introduce their products for the consumption of community citizens in many cases free of tariffs.

“Currently, the Spanish deep-sea fleet is made up of some 300 vessels and fishes around 60% of the total Spanish catches .”

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