The Secretary of State for the Sea announces an “energy transition plan” for the fleet, fishermen slam the door

The Secretary of State for the Sea, Hervé Berville, announced on Friday September 22 an “energy transition plan for the fishing fleet”, during the fishing conference in Nice. The text provides in particular for a “reduction at the pump of 13 cents per liter” supported by TotalEnergies. “The first benefit of greening fuel will be a reduction at the pump of 13 cents [par litre] for all fishing vessels, as long as prices are high”declared Hervé Berville, without specifying the timetable for implementing this measure.

Even before the end of his speech, the fishermen left the room in silence, the president of the national fisheries committee Olivier le Nezet estimating that “the account is not there”. At the podium, where the profession had denounced the day before the “disengagement” of the State, Hervé Berville detailed this “fleet energy transition plan which must be a true public-private partnership with three pillars” : THE “greening of maritime fuel”there “reducing the dependence of our ships on oil” And “adapting port infrastructure”.

“On the first point, we have been working for several months on the greening of maritime fuel. With the CEO of the TotalEnergies group we have agreed that fishing diesel will be greener by incorporating a significant portion of biofuel”, he indicated. According to the minister’s office, the energy company ensures “two thirds of the sale of marine fuel” in France, and the biofuel which must be incorporated up to 7.5% is “available”. This addition “does not require engine adaptation” ships, but “requires investments in stations”we specified from the same source.