Bonito abundance leads to environmental pollution and waste in Rize

The abundance of bonito across Turkey has turned into a loss of national wealth and ecological problems in Rize's Pazar district due to overfishing and oversupply; experts suggest a quota system for sustainability.

In Turkey, which is experiencing the most productive bonito season in the last 70 years, wholesale prices have dropped below 30 TL. However, this abundance yielded negative consequences at the Kirazlık Port in Rize's Pazar district. Tons of fish that could not fit into crates due to overfishing and were crushed during transport were dumped into the port by some boats. The rotting fish caused a heavy odor and marine pollution in the area, disturbing the neighborhood residents.

Although the Istanbul branch of the Seafood Hunters Producers Union (DEMBİR) called for a suspension of fishing between October 8 and 12, this request was not met with a response. According to Istanbul Gürpınar Fish Market data, supply records were broken during these dates and prices fell to the 23 TL level. In contrast, it was noteworthy that prices remained much higher at retail sales points.

Turan Akın, Chairman of the Evrenye Ayvat Fisheries Cooperative, argued that introducing a daily crate quota for purse seiner boats during periods of abundance would prevent waste. Hamdi Arpa, General Manager of the Gürpınar Fisheries Market, stated that the call for a fishing ban did not have the expected effect on market prices, and that bonito reached the consumer at a more affordable price compared to last year.