Fish prices increase due to drifting sea mines

ISTANBUL

The danger of sea mines drifting from the Ukrainian waters has increased fish prices in Turkey by 25 to 30 Turkish Liras ($1.4 to $1.7) as the naval authorities have banned fishing in and around the Bosphorus.

Turkey’s minehunters and maritime patrol aircraft are closely monitoring waters off the coasts of the Black Sea.

On March 26, a drifting sea mine was found in the north approach of the Bosphorus Strait. Two days later, another was detected off the coast of İğneada near the maritime border with Bulgaria. Both mines were defused.

Due to the ban, the fishing markets in Istanbul suffered a lack of fish on March 29, soaring the prices considerably.

A kilo of anchovy is now sold for 60 liras ($4.1) and horse mackerel for 70 liras ($4.8). The sale of a kilo of sea bass starts from 140 liras ($9.6).
“The war has affected all sectors,” fisherman Şafak Gün said, adding that all fishermen were on standby due to the ban.

However, he is also optimistic that the prices will go back to normal if the danger of sea mines is cleared.

The Russian military has alleged that the Ukrainian military has used old naval mines to protect the coast against a Russian landing and some of them have ripped off their anchors by a storm and left adrift.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry responded in a statement, accusing Russia of using Ukrainian mines it seized after the 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and setting them adrift to “discredit Ukraine before international partners.”

The conflicting claims by Russia and Ukraine couldn’t be independently verified.