Protests over soaring marine-diesel prices escalated on Thursday as fishing crews blocked the entrances to Nice, Sète, Frontignan, Le Grau-du-Roi and Agde. Demonstrators moored trawlers across navigation channels and chained gates to fuel depots, forcing harbour masters to suspend most commercial movements. The action follows similar blockades in Fos-sur-Mer earlier in the week and is coordinated by the National Committee of Maritime Fisheries (CNPMEM). The immediate casualty list includes Corsica Linea’s overnight cargo-ferry from Marseille to Ajaccio, which was diverted to Toulon, and several small cruise vessels scheduled to disembark at Sète. Re-routing has logistical knock-ons for refrigerated freight, particularly Catalan fruit exporters who rely on Sète’s Ro-Ro ramp as a gateway to northern Europe. Cruise operators have begun activating alternative anchorage plans at Villefranche and Monaco, but coaches for shore excursions were left idling for hours while new itineraries were arranged. Although the French government extended a targeted fuel-subsidy scheme for fishing vessels until 31 December, union leaders argue that the rebate’s fixed 15-cent per-litre cap is meaningless when diesel tops €1.25 per litre at the quay. A meeting with Maritime Minister Catherine Chabaud ended without agreement; however, the minister promised a “floating mechanism” tied to world-oil benchmarks. For companies moving personnel or goods along the Mediterranean arc, the unpredictability of short-notice harbour closures is now a critical planning variable. Mobility managers should warn travelers booked on regional ferries that 24-hour cancellations are possible and ensure that A1 certificates and Schengen day counts are updated if routing changes push landings into Italy or Spain. Customs brokers handling temporary‐admission goods should also revise carnets to reflect alternate ports of entry. Port authorities report that some vessels were allowed to refuel and depart late on Thursday evening after protesters received assurances of further talks—but CNPMEM signalled that rolling blockades could resume “at any moment” if no price-link subsidy is announced within a week.
Source: TF1 Info
