Bonito catches off Bulgaria's southern Black Sea coast have fallen sharply after a record start to the season, a veteran fisherman from the region said. Rough seas are keeping local boats ashore, and the fish now entering the nets are smaller.
Fishermen could not go out to sea for nine days. "Our boats can't go out in such stormy weather," the fisherman told BNT.
Before the storm, they were catching bonito of 500–600 g and expected the fish to grow. After the bad weather they hoped for bigger fish, but they are mostly pulling up small ones.
October is usually one of the best months for bonito. This year the boom came at the start of the month, then the weather turned. In past years, around St Petko's Day, the fisherman landed some of the biggest catches of his life. This year it was not so.
The autumn season is the main source of fishermen's income. A poor catch and being unable to go to sea are causing them hardship.
Fishermen from Turkey, with bigger vessels, are catching a lot of fish. In Kırklareli (Lozengrad) bonito is quite cheap, and wholesale it is cheaper still. It now costs 90 lira, "about a euro and a bit". Because of the Turkish fish, prices in Bulgaria have not risen much, the fisherman believes.
He says bonito only passes along the Bulgarian coast on its way to the Bosphorus. The drop may be down to the bad weather, but also to other natural factors, he suggests. The temperature is now 20 degrees, while bonito usually starts to move at around 8.
"But something is happening this year – they set off earlier. We hope there will be bonito after this storm," the fisherman said.