Business Jun. 19, 2008 - 04:04AM JST ( 2 )

NIIGATA —

Squid vessels on Wednesday suspended their operation to draw the public’s attention to soaring fuel costs that are negatively affecting their business. Some 3,000 squid vessels across Japan suspended their operations for the day.

Other Japanese fishermen are also considering a wide-ranging suspension of operations this summer as a protest, part of the worldwide backlash against surging oil prices.

“We are facing such risks,” Hiroyuki Noto, deputy chairman of the national association grouping squid fishermen, told a rally in Tokyo. “We definitely need comprehensive measures from the government.” 

Squid fishing boats are especially vulnerable to the higher fuel cost because they use a large number of electric lights to lure squids at night.

Twelve fishing industry groups in Japan, which together provide more than half of the nation’s unprocessed natural fish, agreed earlier this month to consider an across-the-fleet suspension.

The tuna industry has also said that it was considering halting one-third of ocean-going long-line fishing boats in the world.

Wire reports