The price of bonito has skyrocketed: The catch amount is decreasing.

After the fishing ban in the seas ended on September 1, the boats that set sail began to catch a large amount of bonito in the early days of the season, but this catch has decreased in recent days. At the beginning of the fishing season, the price of bonito, which was sold for 40-50 lira each, has risen to 150 lira. Fishermen have listed the reasons for this increase.

PRICE INCREASED 3 TIMES

In the Trabzon Fish Market, the price of bonito, which was sold for 40-50 TL in the early days of the season, has changed to between 100-150 TL as the catch has decreased. It has been stated that the high price of bonito is also due to the fact that the fish caught in the Black Sea is sent to cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.

Fisherman Adem Kaygusuz stated that the caught fish is generally sent to Istanbul, saying, "If the caught fish stayed in Trabzon, the price would be 50-60 TL. It is sold at a higher price there because it goes outside. It generally goes to Istanbul. In the early days, the prices of 400-gram bonitos were 50-60 TL, while the current bonitos weigh 850-900 grams. The catch has also decreased; it is not like in the early days. The prices of bonitos are 110, 120, 125 TL. The prices vary according to the size of the fish," he said.

"BONITOS CAN LEAVE AT ANY MOMENT"

Fisherman Emin Avcı, who stated that the price has increased with the decreasing catch of bonito, said, "The bonitos we sold for 50-60 TL in the early days are now 125 TL each. Compared to the early days, both the catch has decreased and the price has gone up. Since bonito is a migratory fish and the weather has been warm, it has shifted towards Russia. Generally, bonitos are caught off the coast of Rize and come to us from there. Since a lot of bonitos are sent to Istanbul, we can say that they have decreased a bit in our province. The catch of bonito has almost halved compared to the first day. Currently, our prices are between 125-140 TL; the prices from the first day are no longer available. Bonito is a migratory fish and can leave at any moment; it can also be abundant. The catch has decreased right now," he said.

"BOTH WEIGHT AND PRICE HAVE INCREASED"

Fisherman Çetin Kavzoğlu, who noted that the bonitos caught in the Black Sea are generally sent to Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, said, "The caught fish generally goes to Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. The fish that come here are already certain. Therefore, it goes all over Turkey. For the last week, bonitos have started to grow and become heavier. Initially, they were 40-50 TL, but they were 400 grams. Now they are coming in at 900 grams, one kilo. Our prices vary between 125-150 TL. Since bonito is a migratory fish, it is unpredictable when and what will happen. However, it seems that the trend will continue. As bonito grows, its price increases," he said.