In the city of the Côte d’Opale, customers find that the price of some fish has increased by several euros.
Sea bass fillets for 35 euros, or cod fillets for 32 euros. In the fish shops of Boulogne-sur-Mer, it is now the prices that are displayed on the sales counters. These unusually high rates have increased in recent weeks due to inflation.
“I was looking for a bar, I paid six euros more per kilo than a month ago, it’s still huge”, notes a customer into the microphone of the BFM Grand Littoral.
30% increase in one year
Other so-called noble fish are also affected by rising prices. “Sole is also relatively expensive when we should have sole in the Canal,” surprises another customer.
Fish such as cod are, in fact, rarer lately in the coastal waters of the Côte d’Opale and fewer fishermen try to catch them.
In one year, between February 2021 and 2022, the price of fish increased by 30% at the fish auction in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France’s main fishing port, according to the Regional Tourism Department.
An increase in the cost of inputs
Some intermediate products, necessary for the sale of fish, have also been hit hard by inflation in recent months. However, these increases have an impact on the selling price in supermarkets.
“We use a lot of polystyrene, it is an increase of 40%, transport exceeds 30%, we have an increase in diesel which is significant and in fact the fish must be transported. On the labels we also have an increase of 30%, the films plastics are more than 32%, paper is even more, so everything, raw materials and inputs has increased “, explains Aymeric Chrzan, general secretary of the trade union of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
