What is the cause of the strike?

Thousands of Spanish, Portuguese and Italian fishermen have launched strikes following the example of their French colleagues as they protested escalating fuel prices. In Madrid, fishermen gathered outside the Environment, Agriculture and Fishing Ministry where they handed out more than 20 tons of fresh fish free to passersby. In France, fishermen blocked access to the country’s second largest port Le Havre. Protests also continued in other Atlantic and Mediterranean ports.