Skyrocketing diesel costs impact fishing industry on the Central Coast
By Michael Rosales
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MOSS LANDING, California (KSBW) — Skyrocketing costs of fuel are starting to impact local fishing operations on the Central Coast, with diesel fuel prices now over $7 per gallon.
Hans Haveman, owner of H&H Fresh Fish, said, “These are people that are already hurting.”
Calder Dyerle, a commercial fisherman out of Moss Landing Harbor, noted, “I mean, relatively, the fuel costs right now are doubled what they were last year.”
As of Wednesday, AAA reported that the average cost per gallon for diesel in California is $7.52. Diesel represents 17 percent of total fuel sales in California and is crucial for multiple industries, including trucking, construction, agriculture, and the fishing industry, both commercial and recreational. Some believe the increased costs will soon affect consumers.
Dyerle explained that fuel is one of the many major operational costs. “There’s a lot of uncertainty in fishing already, just with the nature of dealing with Mother Nature and, you know, relying on whatever resources are available out there to catch and the regulations on those resources,” he said.
Hans added, “You take a big boat like these, 80 to 100ft boats, some of them are designed to go offshore. There are 2 to 3,000 gallons of fuel. So just do the math at $8 a gallon. They better catch fish, or they’re in big trouble.”
The cost of fuel is also hitting delivery trucks, raising the cost to import seafood from places like Canada.
Dyerle mentioned that rising costs can sometimes prompt fishermen to make riskier decisions, such as fishing longer hours or going out to sea without help, which can be dangerous.
At the harbor, diesel is slightly cheaper than at normal gas stations due to boaters not having to pay California’s highway fuel tax.
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