Fishermen take aim at main fuel depot in Palma.

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Angry Majorcan fishermen continued with their protests against the rising price of fuel yesterday as the Spanish fuel dispute enters its second week. This time the fishing fleet directed its attentions to the fuel distribution and supply company CLH which has the monopoly in the Balearics. A group of around 100 fishermen picketed the CLH fuel depot at Son Banya and blocked the entrance with a barricade of containers preventing fuel tankers from getting either in or out of the depot. But the fuel protest by local fishermen appears to be losing momentum. Of the 100 demonstrators who started the picket, by mid-morning, police were on hand keeping an eye on a group of around 20 stragglers. Despite warnings from the fishing fleet that the fuel depot protests will continue indefinitely, with teams of fishermen being organised to picket the depots on a rota system, the Majorca fuel protests are running out of steam. Between 5.30 and 7am yesterday, the blockade reduced CLH operations by 40 percent and the aim of the protesters is to continue until Majorcans start to notice the lack of fuel. The Balearic government's Fisheries director general, Enric Massuti, said yesterday that he supports a move to open up the fuel distribution market and allow other companies to compete against CLH. This Friday representatives from the Majorcan fishing fleet with be holding talks with the Balearic government in order to try and draw up a proposal for new supplies to be brought into the Balearics to break the monopoly which in turn with bring escalating fuel prices down.