ID :
12659
Wed, 07/16/2008 - 11:12
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/12659
The shortlink copeid
Fishermen stay ashore to draw attention to high oil costs
TOKYO, July 16 Kyodo - About 200,000 fishing boats -- almost all the fishery vessels operating in Japan -- halted operations Tuesday in an attempt to raise public awareness of the predicament they face due to soaring fuel costs.
All fishermen who are members of the Japan Fisheries Cooperatives and 16 other major fisheries groups in Japan suspended operations, marking the first time fishermen nationwide have gone on strike on this scale, according to organizers of the joint action.
The nationwide suspension of fishery operations could lead to a temporary shortage of supply in fresh fish such as squid and mackerel on the market, resulting in higher prices, observers said.
At the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market known as the Tsukiji market, which handles the largest volume of fisheries product transactions in Japan, fresh fish prices generally went up Tuesday with declines in supply.
In a related move, about 3,600 fishermen and their supporters held a rally at Tokyo's Hibiya Park to renew their call on the government and ruling parties to take emergency steps such as government subsidies to help cover increases in fuel costs.
Ikuhiro Hattori, president of the National Federations of Fisheries Co-operative Associations, sought immediate support for fishermen, saying, ''Surges in fuel prices are beyond the limits of our self-reliant efforts and we are on the verge of going bankrupt.''''It is the government's responsibility to protect the fishing industry and fishing villages,'' he said.
Participants in the rally marched in demonstrations around the government office quarter in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said the government will coordinate with his ruling Liberal Democratic Party to come up with additional measures, possibly by the end of July, aimed at easing the plight not only of fishermen, but also of small companies and farmers, stemming from soaring crude oil prices.
''I can understand well that they (fishermen) are suffering, because it is an abnormal situation,'' Fukuda told reporters at his office. ''The government wants to take various measures as much as possible and we are thinking about (specifics).''Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga told a press conference that the government does not plan to provide fresh financial aid to fishermen right now, only saying it will accelerate the implementation of an already earmarked budget.
''We are fully aware of the plight of fishermen caused by high oil prices, but we will first execute the measures we have prepared,'' Nukaga said.
The government has allocated a total of 215 billion yen in an extra budget for fiscal 2007 and principal budget for fiscal 2008 for a relief package to lessen the impact of higher oil prices on consumers and businesses, the minister said.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi also said at a separate press conference that it is difficult to directly subsidize fishermen to cover the rises in their fuel costs.
Hattori of the fisheries cooperatives met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura and Wakabayashi to ask the government for relief measures including direct subsidies for fishermen and tax breaks to enable them to remain in business.
Both Cabinet members said the government will do what it can to help fishermen,according to Hattori.
The LDP confirmed Tuesday morning that it will urge the government to compile a supplementary budget, if the currently available budget proves to beinsufficient to cover ballooning costs caused by crude oil price surges.
At major fishing ports, including Choshi port in Chiba Prefecture, fishermen blew the whistles on their boats simultaneously at 11 a.m. in a symbolic actionto call for public attention to their plight.
According to the fisheries cooperatives, the price of fuel oil often used by fishery vessels has tripled compared with four and a half years ago, as aresult of soaring crude prices.
Fuel costs now account for more than 30 percent of overall operating costs, up from around 20 percent in 2006, weighing on the fisheries business, theorganization said.
On June 18-19, squid fishermen suspended the operation of some 3,000 boatsacross Japan.
Groups of saury fishermen also plan to suspend operations in August, while the country's largest association of fishermen involved in deep-sea tuna fishing has said all 233 of its pelagic long-line tuna fishing operators will suspend operations for two to three months sometime between Aug. 1 and the end of July2010.
All fishermen who are members of the Japan Fisheries Cooperatives and 16 other major fisheries groups in Japan suspended operations, marking the first time fishermen nationwide have gone on strike on this scale, according to organizers of the joint action.
The nationwide suspension of fishery operations could lead to a temporary shortage of supply in fresh fish such as squid and mackerel on the market, resulting in higher prices, observers said.
At the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market known as the Tsukiji market, which handles the largest volume of fisheries product transactions in Japan, fresh fish prices generally went up Tuesday with declines in supply.
In a related move, about 3,600 fishermen and their supporters held a rally at Tokyo's Hibiya Park to renew their call on the government and ruling parties to take emergency steps such as government subsidies to help cover increases in fuel costs.
Ikuhiro Hattori, president of the National Federations of Fisheries Co-operative Associations, sought immediate support for fishermen, saying, ''Surges in fuel prices are beyond the limits of our self-reliant efforts and we are on the verge of going bankrupt.''''It is the government's responsibility to protect the fishing industry and fishing villages,'' he said.
Participants in the rally marched in demonstrations around the government office quarter in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said the government will coordinate with his ruling Liberal Democratic Party to come up with additional measures, possibly by the end of July, aimed at easing the plight not only of fishermen, but also of small companies and farmers, stemming from soaring crude oil prices.
''I can understand well that they (fishermen) are suffering, because it is an abnormal situation,'' Fukuda told reporters at his office. ''The government wants to take various measures as much as possible and we are thinking about (specifics).''Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga told a press conference that the government does not plan to provide fresh financial aid to fishermen right now, only saying it will accelerate the implementation of an already earmarked budget.
''We are fully aware of the plight of fishermen caused by high oil prices, but we will first execute the measures we have prepared,'' Nukaga said.
The government has allocated a total of 215 billion yen in an extra budget for fiscal 2007 and principal budget for fiscal 2008 for a relief package to lessen the impact of higher oil prices on consumers and businesses, the minister said.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi also said at a separate press conference that it is difficult to directly subsidize fishermen to cover the rises in their fuel costs.
Hattori of the fisheries cooperatives met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura and Wakabayashi to ask the government for relief measures including direct subsidies for fishermen and tax breaks to enable them to remain in business.
Both Cabinet members said the government will do what it can to help fishermen,according to Hattori.
The LDP confirmed Tuesday morning that it will urge the government to compile a supplementary budget, if the currently available budget proves to beinsufficient to cover ballooning costs caused by crude oil price surges.
At major fishing ports, including Choshi port in Chiba Prefecture, fishermen blew the whistles on their boats simultaneously at 11 a.m. in a symbolic actionto call for public attention to their plight.
According to the fisheries cooperatives, the price of fuel oil often used by fishery vessels has tripled compared with four and a half years ago, as aresult of soaring crude prices.
Fuel costs now account for more than 30 percent of overall operating costs, up from around 20 percent in 2006, weighing on the fisheries business, theorganization said.
On June 18-19, squid fishermen suspended the operation of some 3,000 boatsacross Japan.
Groups of saury fishermen also plan to suspend operations in August, while the country's largest association of fishermen involved in deep-sea tuna fishing has said all 233 of its pelagic long-line tuna fishing operators will suspend operations for two to three months sometime between Aug. 1 and the end of July2010.
