Fishermen symbolically block Nikis Avenue in Thessaloniki, demand an immediate fuel subsidy

On Sunday at midday, dozens of fishermen gathered in Aristotelous Square and symbolically blocked Nikis Avenue on Thessaloniki’s old waterfront for about 20–25 minutes, as piestirio.gr reports. The protest took place as part of the sector’s indefinite nationwide strike, which has entered its fourth day.

Numerous fishing boats were anchored in the Thermaic Gulf, while buses of fishermen arrived in Thessaloniki from Kavala and Alexandroupoli to join the rally. Their message was direct: “we have gone bankrupt,” they say, as high production costs are making the profession unprofitable.

The fishermen’s main demand is an immediate subsidy for marine fuel. According to their head, Dimitris Tzipouras, the cost of fuel has doubled compared with a few years ago, rising from 0.55–0.60 to 1.40–1.42 euros per litre. Tzipouras cited the example of Italy, which has given fishermen 67 cents per litre in subsidy, while in Greece the aid is only 12–16 cents, Business Daily writes.

The fishermen warn that, if the strike continues, there will be fish shortages on the market in the coming days. They called on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to open a dialogue with the sector and find solutions to their demands, otherwise the mobilisation will escalate.