Rising Middle East tensions have pushed fuel prices higher across Europe, piling pressure on France’s fishing industry, according to local authorities.
The Port of Guilvinec in western France, one of the country’s leading fishing hubs and a key center for high-value seafood such as langoustines, sends hundreds of vessels out daily to supply markets across France and abroad.
Escalating conflict has intensified volatility in global energy prices, adding cost burdens across the fishing chain from vessel fuel to cold-chain transport.
The European Union reported marine fuel prices surged more than 75 percent between late February and April, severely impacting fuel‑dependent industries such as fishing. In France, diesel for fishing vessels nearly doubled within a month.
"In a fishing company, fuel accounts for around 30 percent of operating costs, alongside the wages paid to crews. These are main costs of fishing companies. We hope conflicts in the Middle East won't last for months, because if it does, we cannot see how we will survive in the long term," said Jerome Jourdain, deputy secretary general of the Union of French Fishing Shipowners. The sharp rise in costs has also become a heavy burden on French fishing operators. The Middle East tensions have indirectly weakened maritime security in relevant waters, leaving deep-sea fishing operations grappling with both high operating costs and offshore safety risks.
"Today, because all these forces are occupied in the Hormuz Strait and in the Persian Gulf, there is less protection in Somalia, so that's the consequence of the conflict," said Pierre-Alain Carre, director of external affairs and strategy of French Ocean Tuna Company.
Latest data from the French Ministry of Agriculture showed that catches in southern Brittany waters fell 12 percent year on year in the first four months of this year.
Local catches are sold through an auction pricing model. Although reduced supply has pushed up auction prices slightly, the increase has lagged far behind the rising costs of fuel, logistics and other expenses.
"There are fewer and fewer langoustine available on the market these days. Let's see how things turn out this year. We can only continue to observe," said Maxim, seafood store owner.
To ease pressure on fishing industry, the European Commission has approved a 13-million-euro subsidy program in May for France's domestic fishing enterprises struggling with rising marine fuel costs.
Middle East tensions drive energy price surge, strain France’s fishing fleet
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, said on Monday that the relationship between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) stands at a new historical starting point.
Xi arrived in the DPRK capital of Pyongyang earlier on Monday to begin a two-day state visit at the invitation of Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, marking his first trip to the country in seven years.
Delivering a speech at a welcome banquet hosted by Kim, Xi pointed out that China and the DPRK, linked by mountains and rivers and sharing a common future, have seen their traditional friendship passed down across generations and grow ever stronger over time through the test of the evolving international landscape.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, and the China-DPRK relationship stands at a new historical starting point, Xi said, noting that he has reached important consensus with Kim during his visit.
From the strategic perspective of the future and destiny of socialism, both leaders have agreed to seize the general trend of the times, respond to the shared aspirations of the two peoples, strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen strategic communication, expand practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people bonds, promote the high-level development of China-DPRK relations, jointly open up brighter prospects for the socialist cause of both countries, and contribute to the continuous progress of human society, Xi said.
The successful convening of the Ninth Congress of the WPK this year has made strategic plans and major arrangements for the long-term development of the Party and the country's cause, ushering in a new period of comprehensive development of the DPRK's socialist cause, Xi said.
As good neighbors, good friends and good comrades, the Chinese side sincerely wishes that, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the WPK headed by General Secretary Kim, the DPRK people will successfully accomplish the goals and tasks set by the Ninth Congress of the WPK and make constant new achievements in the socialist cause of the DPRK, Xi said.
On behalf of the WPK, the government and the people of the DPRK, Kim extended the warmest welcome to Xi on his visit. Kim said that Pyongyang was filled with an atmosphere of friendship on this special day as the DPRK's Party, government and people warmly welcomed their most distinguished guest.
Noting that Xi's first overseas trip of the year had brought him to the DPRK, Kim said this fully demonstrated the great importance Xi attached to developing relations between the two parties and the two countries, and constituted the most valuable support for the DPRK's socialist cause.
Noting the meeting with Xi came nine months after their previous meeting, Kim said that during this meeting, they reached important consensus on further advancing DPRK-China relations with new contemporary connotations in light of new changing circumstances, and exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, which will surely accelerate the development of the DPRK-China friendship with profound historical traditions, and contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world.
The DPRK people take heartfelt joy in the remarkable achievements made by the brotherly Chinese people, Kim said, expressing belief that under the leadership of the CPC with Xi at its core, the great Chinese people will surely create greater achievements in building a great modern socialist country in all respects, realizing the Second Centenary Goal, and completing the new journey toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Xi says China-DPRK ties stand at new historical starting point
