13.10.2026 18:06
The abundance of bonito in the Black Sea almost melted prices. While 3 bonito were sold for 100 TL at the stalls, the price of the empty styrofoam crate used by fishermen left people stunned. After the foam crate in which the bonito, whose unit price dropped to 33 lira, was transported cost 100 TL, fisherman tradesman Kadir Ali Şimşek described the interesting picture that emerged with the words, 'One bonito is 35, an empty crate is 100 TL.'
With the increase in bonito fishing in the Black Sea, there was a striking decrease in fish prices. While bonitos weighing almost 1 kilogram dropped to 33-35 TL, the price of the empty crate used to carry the fish rose to about 3 times that of the fish.
BONITO ABUNDANCE PULLED PRICES TO THE BOTTOM
The recent increase in bonito fishing in the Black Sea was reflected as abundance at fishmonger stalls. With the rise in catch volume, bonito prices also declined significantly. While 3 bonitos were offered for sale at 100 TL at the stalls, the price of one fish dropped to about 33 lira. The fact that some bonitos reached almost 1 kilogram in weight made the prices even more remarkable. However, the really interesting situation for fishermen was the difference between the price of the fish itself and the packaging used to carry it.
FISH 33 LIRA, EMPTY CRATE 100 LIRA
The white styrofoam foam crates that fishermen use to preserve and transport the bonitos they catch cost 100 TL each. The price of an empty crate that holds only 10 bonitos reaches about 3 times that of a single bonito. Moreover, there is no deposit system for these crates used by fishermen. Thus, the unit price of the fish taken from the sea remains well below that of the packaging used to carry it. While the bonito abundance allows consumers to buy fish at affordable prices, the high cost of packaging is among the issues highlighted by fishmongers.
FISHMONGERS ASTONISHED: FREE THIS YEAR
Fishmonger Kadir Ali Şimşek, explaining the difference between bonito prices and crate cost, drew attention to the abundance experienced this season. Şimşek said, "We sell 3 bonitos for 100 lira. That comes to 33 lira each. The crate itself, there is no deposit, is already 100 lira. So one empty crate is 100 lira, one fish is 33 lira. Its packaging, that is, the foam you see, is 100 lira. How could it be better? It's free, basically. One fish is 33 lira, one foam is 100 lira. The packaging, that is, exceeds the fish. So 1 kilo of fish, 1 kilo of fish comes to 33 lira. 3 of them come to 100 lira. 33 lira. It's free this year. There is abundance this year."