Business · Energy & Commodities · 1 day ago
Fuel price surge squeezes French fishing fleets despite tax-free diesel
French fishing fleets are struggling with rising fuel costs, even though they can buy tax-free diesel at €1.21 per litre.
The fuel used for fishing has doubled in price since the start of the year.
A fishing company in Lorient says its five trawlers each use an average of 1,400 litres a day.
Fishers cannot simply catch more to cover higher costs because quotas limit their catch, and fish prices are set at auction.
The pressure also reduces crew members’ pay, with one company estimating monthly losses of €200 to €600 per sailor.
Trawling uses especially large amounts of fuel, and researchers estimate that fuel costs can consume 25% to 30% of revenue.
The government has provided more than €30 million in fuel support, but no immediate solution is clear; one proposal is to phase out trawling over 20 to 30 years.
French fishing fleets are struggling with rising fuel costs despite access to tax-free diesel priced at 1.21 euros per litre.
Fishing quotas limit how much they can catch, while auction prices prevent them from passing higher costs on to buyers.
A Brittany fleet operating five trawlers uses an average of 1,400 litres of fuel per vessel each day.
Crew members’ monthly pay has been cut by an estimated 200 to 600 euros, according to fleet director Jérôme Nicol.
The French government has released more than 30 million euros to help fishers pay for diesel.
- Who
- French fishing fleets, including the Armement de la pêche artisanale de Keroman in Lorient.
- What
- Rising fuel costs are squeezing fleets and reducing crew members’ pay, despite tax-free diesel.
- When
- The article was published on 11 October 2026; it says fishing diesel prices had doubled since the start of the year.
- Where
- France, including Lorient in Brittany.
- Why
- Fuel costs have surged, while quotas limit catches and auction prices prevent fishers from passing higher costs on.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The article says the price of diesel for fishing had doubled since the beginning of the year.
The government has released more than 30 million euros to help fishers pay for diesel.
BFM Business published its report on the difficulties facing French fishing fleets.
- Tax-free diesel price
- 1.21 euros per litre
- Keroman fleet
- Five trawlers, each 20 to 24 metres long
- Average daily fuel use
- 1,400 litres per vessel
- Estimated monthly crew pay impact
- 200 to 600 euros
- Government assistance
- More than 30 million euros
What people are saying
We are completely stuck. The price of fish is set at auction, so we cannot pass the increase in costs on to our selling prices. And we cannot fish more because of quotas.
We are talking about 25 to 30% of turnover going up in smoke.
If there were no tax exemption on diesel, these trawl fisheries would collapse overnight.
Sources
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