Fuel price hike: Shipowners say "Lower costs or we'll cut ships to the islands."

Lower fuel prices or ship connections to the islands will be cut. And maritime territorial continuity will be lost. The shipowners' alarm comes shortly before the Council of Ministers meeting, which is scheduled to discuss a new decree to address the price increases caused by the war in the Persian Gulf.

Assarmatori and Confitarma explain: "The rising fuel costs caused by the ongoing serious crisis are having a particularly significant impact on scheduled passenger and cargo maritime services, on domestic routes, and on connections to and from the major and minor islands, an industry segment already highly exposed, also due to the introduction and progressive strengthening of European environmental policies."

The situation is clear: "In the absence of corrective measures, the very real risk is that these services will be compromised, leading to a possible reduction in supply or, in the most critical cases, the loss of essential maritime connections for territorial continuity."

The shipowners aren't just raising the issue. They're also proposing a viable solution: they're advising the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Edoardo Rixi, and the Minister of Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Nello Musumeci, to provide a special contribution for shipping companies in the form of a tax credit, commensurate with the increased fuel costs incurred in March, April, and May, compared to the average price for February . This measure follows the same path as the decree adopted for road haulers.

"Maritime transport plays an essential role in territorial continuity and, more generally, in the Italian economy," explain Stefano Messina, president of Assarmatori, and Mario Zanetti, head of Confitarma. "It's an industrial segment that was excluded from the initial emergency measures enacted to address rising fuel prices, but which now, to continue providing services, must be considered on a par with other sectors, ensuring consistency between transport modes during this particularly challenging economic period."