Diesel prices skyrocket: fishing risks collapse with fish price increases of up to 30%

Fishermen risk working at a loss, as going out to sea can cost up to over 1,100 euros more per day. The cost of refueling at the dock ranges from 400 euros to 4,400 euros, depending on the size of the vessel. This is the alarm that emerges from the analysis of the operational costs of the fleet prepared by Confcooperative Fedagripesca for ANSA, after the price of diesel for fishing reached 1.120 euros per liter, compared to 0.75 euros recorded in the pre-conflict period in the Middle East, with a severe impact on the budgets of companies. Price increases that, combined with inflationary pressure, risk translating into a rise in seafood prices for consumers, which, for some species and certain types of fishing, the vice president of Confcooperative Fedagripesca, Paolo Tiozzo, estimates could reach up to +30%.

According to the study, based on an average of four monthly refuels, for small-scale fishing, with tanks of about 1,000 liters, the increase translates into about 400 euros of additional costs per week, equivalent to about 100 euros more for each working day.

Pressure increases for medium-sized vessels, ranging in length from 17 to 21 meters and with a load capacity between 2,000 and 6,000 liters; where the cost of refueling has risen from 1,500-4,500 euros to between 2,240 and 6,720 euros, with a weekly increase between 740 and 2,220 euros; in operational terms, each outing at sea costs between 185 and 555 euros.

An even more critical situation for large vessels over 24 meters, which require between 8,000 and 12,000 liters for each refuel; in this case, the cost of refueling has risen from an average of 6,000-9,000 euros to the current 8,960-13,440 euros, with weekly increases that can reach 4,440 euros.

As for the increase in prices for consumers, Tiozzo specifies that the increase is mainly recorded downstream of the supply chain, because fishing operators have very limited margins. "In this context - he concludes - the only way for fishermen to defend themselves against the surge in costs is to reduce outings at sea", as is already happening in many fishing ports.