Dear fuel, shipowners announce the blockade of the Strait of Messina on 22 October: "100 fishing boats from Sicily and Calabria ready"

Shipowners announced a blockade of the Strait of Messina on 22 October to protest high fuel prices, using up to 100 fishing boats from Sicily and Calabria. The date was set after an assembly of the island’s navies at the port of Catania. Fabio Micalizzi, president of the Sicilian Shipowners’ Federation, said the action would block national and international naval transit and involve as many as 100 fishing vessels. The stated demand is a cap on the diesel price for professional fishing, arguing the fuel is the industry’s “raw material” and that without it boats remain in port and businesses fail. The request is for the national government to evaluate a diesel ceiling compatible with Italian and European standards.