Spanish fishermen strike over fuel prices

BARCELONA, Spain (CNN) -- Several hundred Spanish fishermen went on strike for a third day Wednesday in and around Barcelona to protest high fuel prices, taking a cue from their counterparts in France who have been blockading French ports this week.

Nineteen boats that normally fish for shrimp and hake were instead docked in Barcelona's port. At least six boats were on strike in villages to the north, and more than 50 boats were idle in Vilanova, a town about an hour south of Barcelona.

In all, between 300 and 400 fishermen from those boats were on strike Wednesday.

The strike began Monday in Barcelona, on Spain's eastern coast. The fishermen say they hope their action, on the heels of the French strike, will inspire similar protests in Italy, Portugal, and Greece.

The main complaint is the rising price of fuel, which has gone up 40 percent in Spain in the past three years. At the same time, the price of fish is going down -- a result, the fishermen say, of large fishing companies catching cheap fish abroad and selling it in Spanish stores for a lower price.

Spanish government officials met with the fishermen Monday to discuss their concerns, after which the government offered to support the fishermen in requesting lower prices from oil companies.

The fishermen instead want the government to give them rebates or subsidies to help them pay for the fuel for their boats.

Unsatisfied with the government's offer, the fishermen plan a large demonstration Friday in Madrid, hoping to increase pressure on the government and encourage further strikes along the Mediterranean.