Greek fishers blockade ports over soaring fuel costs and empty markets
Fishermen across Greece have blocked several harbours, including Thessaloniki, to protest soaring fuel prices and the lack of domestic fish in markets.
A nationwide fishermen’s mobilisation started last Thursday and entered its sixth day, targeting key ports like Thessaloniki, Piraeus and Keratsini. About a hundred motorized boats and small craft seized the Old Beach in Thessaloniki, setting up roadblocks with pallets and fires that immobilised four trucks loaded with imported fish from Turkey and Bulgaria. Representatives say roughly 90% of the fish handled in New Machanona is foreign, and they demand fuel subsidies of 50-55 cents per litre to stay afloat.
The Kapani fish market in Thessaloniki now displays empty aisles, with only frozen or farmed fish available. Fishermen warn the blockade will continue until the government offers meaningful support, citing the tripling of marine fuel costs over the past decade. The Ministry of Rural Development has offered only limited statements, while the sector faces possible collapse and rising consumer prices.
