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The cost of fuel oil is rising because of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Now, we're seeing it on the ground at gas stations and in the air as airlines raise prices. Today, we look at the water. David Wright reports from Ocean State Media in Rhode Island, where the price of diesel fuel is about $5.75 a gallon.
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DAVID WRIGHT, BYLINE: Mike Pugliese, known locally as Fishmonger Mike, starts his day scooping plenty of ice.
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WRIGHT: The shelf life of his product depends on it.
What's this?
MIKE PUGLIESE: That's fluke. It's a type of flounder. That was caught two days ago.
WRIGHT: Right now, fresh seafood is under pressure, in part because rough weather has made this a tough year for New England fishermen. Now they're facing higher fuel prices, too.
PUGLIESE: I'm praying that the diesel prices don't go any higher because right now, I think they're at the pinnacle for particularly the local boats here that are doing the fluke offshore.
WRIGHT: Over the past month since the war in Iran kicked off, the cost of diesel here in Rhode Island has jumped nearly 50% at local gas stations and here at the dock.
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WRIGHT: Tim Carroll, one of the owners of Seaside Fuel, snakes the long, red hose from his truck into the tank of one of the big boats on the dock at Point Judith. His customers are giving him an earful.
Do you hear a lot of complaints?
TIM CARROLL: Every day. Everyone I talk to, every single one.
WRIGHT: Sea captains like Patrick Duckworth are feeling the pinch.
PATRICK DUCKWORTH: Price of fish doesn't come up, price of fuel don't go down, you're going to see this harbor full a lot, all summer long.
WRIGHT: Meaning they won't be going out on the water?
DUCKWORTH: Yep. Won't be going out on the water. And less money, probably a lot of people that won't have jobs.
WRIGHT: The boats here bring in a huge percentage of the nation's longfin squid. If they don't go out to fish, calamari will be in short supply nationwide. Meghan Lapp works for Seafreeze, one of the East Coast's biggest seafood processors and distributors. They buy straight from the boats, process the fish and get it to market.
MEGHAN LAPP: Right now, the commercial fishing industry is at its lowest profits recorded in the last 30 years. You know, when you have a fuel increase, it hits you harder than it would have years ago.
WRIGHT: She says it's a double whammy. Not only do high diesel prices hurt fishermen, they also hit hard for truckers who deliver it to restaurants and grocery stores. And she says it's not as simple as raising prices to cover costs.
LAPP: Usually what happens is that when the cost of domestic product goes up, the country floods the markets with cheaper imports and our prices actually drop.
PUGLIESE: Fifty-seven, 71. Thank you.
WRIGHT: Back at Fishmonger Mike's seafood shop, Good Friday and the end of Lent normally mean high demand for fish. This year, he's worried.
PUGLIESE: If the fuel prices continue to stay high at the pumps, people pour more into their fuel tank, into their car, then that's going to affect what we sell. And I think...
WRIGHT: They're not going to have as much money to buy fish?
PUGLIESE: Exactly. And I think we're seeing a little bit of that right now. No doubt in my mind.
WRIGHT: His suppliers and his customers are both feeling the pinch. For NPR News, I'm David Wright in Point Judith, Rhode Island.
(SOUNDBITE OF SCUFF SELAM'S "FOR YOU") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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