Gas price hike in Iran drives 60,000 fishermen out of business
Iran tripled the state gasoline prices on November 15 to about 83 US cents a gallon or 22 cents a liter.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFHava Arbabi holds up fish in her boat near Hengam Island southeast of Tehran, Iran(photo credit: REUTERS/MORTEZA NIKOUBAZL)
60,000 fishermen are without work after a recent hike in gas prices in Iran, according to Radio Farda.Iran tripled state gasoline prices on November 15 to about 83 US cents a gallon or 22 cents a liter. Fishermen need about 50-150 liters of gas per day, so the higher gas prices drove them out of business.State-produced fuels are still being sold at subsidized prices domestically. On December 29, the government approved a plan to provide a monthly supply of 1,200 liters of gas for every licensed fishing boat at half price.A representative of Iranian fisherman said that they have not received any discounted gas. Fish sold for about $3 per kilo last month, but since then the price has more than doubled.The gas price hike in November led to widespread anti-government protests throughout Iran that were brutally suppressed by Iranian security forces. About 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest that started on November 15.Last week, mobile Internet connectivity in Iran dropped to 5% of ordinary levels as the government shut off connections amid tightened security measures, as families of those killed in the protests threatened further demonstrations, according to NetBlocks.Iranian security forces confronted demonstrators in multiple cities on Wednesday night, reported Al Arabiya, as demonstrations began in Tehran and other cities around the country. No further reports have come from the Islamic Republic about whether protests continued. And it is unclear if Internet connectivity has been restored.
