With only a few days left until the end of the hunting season that began on 1st of September, fishermen from the Black Sea region are wrapping up a season filled with abundant fish catches. The hunting season is coming to a close.
Starting the season with bonito, fishermen have diversified the types of fish caught, enriching tables with a variety of options.
Although not as abundant as the bonito season, fishermen agree that it has been a good season overall, continuing to catch plenty of whiting and horse mackerel. Ünal Karadeniz, the President of the Perşembe Fishermen’s Cooperative, stated that they have had a successful season for both fishing and selling fish, leaving satisfied customers as well.
Pointing out the abundance in bonito, Karadeniz said, “Perhaps we can say that we have had the best bonito season in the last 10 years. We have managed to provide our customers with plenty of bonito this season.” Although the anchovy season was not as rich, Karadeniz emphasized that it was generally good, with fishermen paying particular attention to not catching small anchovies. He also signaled that in the upcoming period, especially small-scale fishermen will focus on turbot fishing, as the turbot catch is currently doing very well. Karadeniz noted, “We are pleased with the catch. Turbots were selling for 1300 Turkish Lira per kilogram in the middle of the season, but now, due to the abundant catch, the price has dropped to 600-700 Turkish Lira.”
Özay Çakır, who sells fish in Perşembe, expressed that they were able to make the desired sales due to the wide variety of fish available. Çakır mentioned that for the first time in 7-8 years, there was such vibrancy at the stalls, emphasizing that fishermen concluded the season contentedly. Furkan Arslantürk said that they had a season where everyone was satisfied with the abundance of all types of fish.
Erdal Çamaş added that the season exceeded expectations, mentioning that they even sent fish to migrants living outside the city.