Black Sea bonito prices drop as packaging costs surge

In the Black Sea region, an abundance of bonito (palamut) has led to a significant drop in fish prices, while the cost of packaging has surged. While individual fish are being sold for as low as 35 TL—with some vendors offering three fish for 100 TL—the empty styrofoam crates used to transport them cost fishermen 100 TL each.

Fishermen report that a single crate can only hold approximately 10 fish. This creates a situation where the cost of the packaging exceeds the market value of the fish it contains. Local fisherman Kadir Ali Şimşek noted that while the season's abundance is beneficial for consumers, the high cost of non-depositable packaging is impacting the profit margins of producers.