Iraq fuels shortage threatens fishermen

FAO, Iraq, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Fishermen in south Basra warn Iraq’s growing fuel shortage is threatening their ability to work, an impending crisis that will exacerbate unemployment.

“The fisherman are about to quit their jobs due to the scarcity of fuel necessary to operate the fishing boats,” Badran Issa, head of the al-Sindbad fishing association in al-Fao told the Voices of Iraq news agency.

“Some 6,000 fishermen have lost hope of getting the fuel they need in order to set sails for fishing, particularly after the fuel ration they receive was cut as of May 1, 2007,” he said, adding his colleagues are forced to the black market to buy fuel at $100 per barrel.

“This is a very expensive price that is not covered by proceeds from selling in the Iraqi markets. This prompted the fishermen to search for neighboring regional market to sell their fish and get the income that would cover the high costs of fuel,” he said.

Iraq’s fuel shortage means the country imports much of its product, despite sitting on the world’s third largest oil reserves. The shortage is attributed to a lack of refining capacity, as well as a black market of organized groups feeding off of the country’s subsidized fuel prices.

Iraq already suffers from an estimated 50 percent unemployment rate.

The head of the Fao municipal council, Riad Abdul-Hussein Jaafar, said the government in Baghdad has been unable to figure out how to ensure the fishing industry is allocated enough fuel.