The Day Mackerel Disappears from the Dining Table... The Crisis of a 50% Cut in Norwegian Quotas and Poor Domestic Catch
Mackerel prices are skyrocketing due to a 48% reduction in Norway's fishing quota and plummeting domestic catches. Iida Shoten has declared its commitment to protecting Japan's fish-eating culture through high value-added processing.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 10:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 23:33 (325h 3m after Collected)
Abnormalities are occurring with the 'mackerel', a popular fish that has supported the Japanese dining table. The domestic landing volume has roughly halved over the past 10 years, dropping from about 530,000 tons to just over 250,000 tons. The market purchase price, which used to be 400-500 yen per fish, has skyrocketed to more than double, exceeding 1000 yen (Reference: FNN Prime Online News, March 23). Producers in the secondary industry centered on mackerel are facing unprecedented hardships.
Precisely because of this situation, Iida Shoten continues to take on challenges.
With advanced techniques and experience cultivated since the Meiji era, we create new value in mackerel and respond to customer needs. We hereby declare Iida Shoten's determination to protect Japan's fish-eating culture.
## Supply Crisis of Norwegian Mackerel
In the Northeast Atlantic, which supports global mackerel demand, raw material supply is also in a serious situation.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has warned that the mackerel stock biomass has fallen below biologically safe limits. In response to this, coastal states such as Norway have reached an international agreement to reduce the fishing quota for 2026 by approximately 48% compared to the previous year. As a global supply shortage becomes a reality, there are concerns that securing raw materials will become even more difficult in the future. (Reference: Norwegian Government Official Announcement)
## Price Surges and Impact on Japan
According to a report by the Norwegian Seafood Council, mackerel prices in 2025 have reached an unprecedented level.
The price, which had risen by 20 kroner over approximately 19 years, has surged to a level exceeding 50 kroner in just the past year, intensifying the competition for raw materials. In particular, Japanese producers, affected by tariffs and the weak yen, are placed in a severe position in purchasing competition with emerging markets such as Vietnam and China.
## Poor Catch of Mackerel in Waters Near Japan
The domestic situation is also serious. At the Choshi Fishing Port in Chiba Prefecture, which boasts one of the highest landing volumes in Japan, the landing volume of mackerel has plummeted from about 100,000 tons in 2021 to about 7,500 tons recently, a drop of more than 1/13.
(Reference: Choshi City Fishery Cooperative "Landings by Major Fish Species" Mackerel Landing Volume)
## As a Pioneer of Boneless Fish
Precisely because of this situation, Iida Shoten continues to take on challenges.
With advanced techniques and experience cultivated since the Meiji era, we create new value in mackerel and respond to customer needs. We hereby declare Iida Shoten's determination to protect Japan's fish-eating culture.
## Supply Crisis of Norwegian Mackerel
In the Northeast Atlantic, which supports global mackerel demand, raw material supply is also in a serious situation.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has warned that the mackerel stock biomass has fallen below biologically safe limits. In response to this, coastal states such as Norway have reached an international agreement to reduce the fishing quota for 2026 by approximately 48% compared to the previous year. As a global supply shortage becomes a reality, there are concerns that securing raw materials will become even more difficult in the future. (Reference: Norwegian Government Official Announcement)
## Price Surges and Impact on Japan
According to a report by the Norwegian Seafood Council, mackerel prices in 2025 have reached an unprecedented level.
The price, which had risen by 20 kroner over approximately 19 years, has surged to a level exceeding 50 kroner in just the past year, intensifying the competition for raw materials. In particular, Japanese producers, affected by tariffs and the weak yen, are placed in a severe position in purchasing competition with emerging markets such as Vietnam and China.
## Poor Catch of Mackerel in Waters Near Japan
The domestic situation is also serious. At the Choshi Fishing Port in Chiba Prefecture, which boasts one of the highest landing volumes in Japan, the landing volume of mackerel has plummeted from about 100,000 tons in 2021 to about 7,500 tons recently, a drop of more than 1/13.
(Reference: Choshi City Fishery Cooperative "Landings by Major Fish Species" Mackerel Landing Volume)
## As a Pioneer of Boneless Fish