Mackerel Prices Soar to Unaffordable Levels in Japan

Mackerel has become an unaffordable everyday option in Japan due to skyrocketing import prices. The price of frozen Norwegian mackerel reached 885 yen (approx. $5.80) per kilogram in May this year, more than three times the level five years earlier.

Norway's catch quota was reduced by 28% last year and is expected to fall further to around 79,000 metric tons this year. The weak yen is exacerbating the issue, with prices magnified when settled in U.S. dollars.

Seafood industry officials expect a growing number of small and midsize processors to face financial difficulties due to struggling to secure imported mackerel and other raw materials.