Japanese fishermen to strike over high fuel costs

Japanese fishermen to strike over high fuel costs
Afp, Tokyo
Japan's fishing industry, one of the largest in the world, will stage a mass strike Tuesday in protest at soaring fuel costs, part of a global backlash against surging oil prices.Some 200,000 fishing boats will cancel their trips for one day to urge the government for help to ease the impact of the fuel price hikes, a move that could hit the country's myriad sushi and seafood restaurants."Many fishermen cannot make ends meet. The industry as a whole is falling apart," said an official with the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations."We are asking for emergency measures from the government, just for one or two years, to help us pull through this difficult period," he said.Fuel now accounts for as much as half of the fishermen's operating costs, compared with just 10 percent a few years ago, he said.Roughly 3,000 fishermen from all corners of Japan are going to gather in downtown Tokyo on Tuesday for a rally and a march to demand state subsidies to help the struggling industry.