Athens, Greece – Agricultural and maritime protests in Greece have entered a new phase of escalation, after farmers and fishermen imposed a total blockade on the port of Volos from land and sea, in what is considered the largest move in years amid increasing economic pressures hitting the two sectors.
Dozens of tractors and heavy trucks gathered at the main entrances to the port, blocking the roads leading to the loading and unloading areas, while small and medium-sized fishing boats advanced towards the vital sea lanes, causing a slowdown in commercial navigation and disrupting a number of scheduled cargo transport trips.
The protesters emphasize that their demands are not new, but have reached a point where “silence is no longer an option.” They point to the unprecedented rise in fuel costs, the decline in government subsidies, and the delays in compensation for those affected by the recent floods and storms that struck vast agricultural areas. Farmers say that if the current situation continues, thousands of smallholdings, which form the backbone of the country’s agricultural production, will cease to exist.
Fishermen, on the other hand, complain about the high operating and maintenance fees for boats, in addition to the decline in fish stocks due to weather disturbances and changing fishing patterns, demanding that they be granted tax exemptions and urgent protection measures.
In response, the government called for calm and the opening of a new channel of negotiation with union leaders, stressing that it “appreciates the magnitude of the challenges” and seeks to find balanced solutions that maintain the workflow at the port, which is one of the most important commercial centers in the Thessaly region.
Estimates suggest that the continued blockade could inflict significant damage on the maritime transport sector and supply chains, particularly with the increasing pressure on alternative ports. While protests continue, the movement is expected to escalate in the coming days unless a mutually agreeable solution is reached.
