Bonitos put on counters at Black Sea fish markets

SİNOP

As seasonal ban on fishing with lures was lifted on Aug. 15, the first batches of fish caught in the sea were put on the market in the Black Sea province of Sinop on Aug. 15.

Fishermen were hopeful of fishing bonito this season, which will be fully opened on Sept. 1.

“These bonitos caught with lures show that we will get a bumper catch of fish in the new season,” said fisherman Emin Galip Çınar.

“Fresh bonitos are now put on the counters. God willing, the counters will brighten up as the new season opens,” he added.

Depending on the size, the price of a bonito ranges between five to 10 Turkish Liras ($0.68 to $1.36) in Sinop.

At Istanbul’s wholesale fish market hall, one kilogram of seabass is being sold for 28 liras ($3.83), and one kilogram of imported salmon is marketed for 45 liras ($6.16).

Turkey’s fishing season with large boats using trawling methods ended on April 15, with a countrywide ban in effect until Sept. 1. However, many fishing boats were laid on the stocks a couple of weeks ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, which hit the country in mid-March and also because of less amount of fish in the Black Sea, the Aegean, the Mediterranean and the Marmara Sea.

Experts blame pollution, climate change and irresponsible fishing for the decreasing number of fish in the last decades.

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