Mackerel Now from Korea and Chile, Shrimp from Peru... Changing Trends in Supermarket Seafood Sections

Norwegian Catch Quota Cut to One Third
Efforts to Diversify Supply Sources for Price Competitiveness

Major changes are emerging in the country of origin composition of seafood commonly found in daily life, due to global climate change and restrictions on fishing quotas.

Mackerel. Getty Images Bank

According to Emart on June 21, sales of domestically produced mackerel from January to May this year increased by 49.4% compared to the same period last year. In contrast, sales of imported mackerel decreased by 5%. At Lotte Mart, mackerel sales during the same period rose by 20.8%, while the growth rate for imported mackerel was only 4%. This trend has been attributed to a recent rise in demand for domestic mackerel, as imported mackerel has lost its price competitiveness over the past few months.

This year, the Norwegian government set the mackerel catch quota at 79,000 tons. The quota, which was 215,000 tons in 2024 and 165,000 tons in 2025, has dropped to about one third in just two years. This is a measure based on scientific recommendations from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Due to overfishing, mackerel resources have declined, and Norway lost the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sustainability certification back in 2019. As a result, the wholesale price of Norwegian frozen mackerel surged threefold, from about $2 per kilogram last year to $6 in May this year. The retail price of imported salted mackerel also rose by more than 30%, reaching 10,701 won per portion, compared to 8,149 won last year.

On the other hand, the price of 10 kilograms of domestic frozen mackerel (based on intermediary wholesale prices) fell by more than 10%, from 49,348 won in May last year to 43,771 won last month, making domestic mackerel cheaper than imported mackerel.

Seafood section at a large supermarket. Stock photo

In response, Emart, in cooperation with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, has been running promotions such as mackerel discount events, and announced plans to more than double its stockpile of domestic mackerel this year compared to last year to stabilize prices. The company is also working to secure new sources in addition to domestic supply. From June 25, Emart will begin selling Chilean mackerel, which is not only generally larger than Norwegian mackerel but also costs about half as much, and is expected to attract substitute demand. However, some experts warn that simply diversifying supply sources may not be enough to ensure price stability.

For shrimp, the proportion sourced from Peru has increased, moving away from the previous focus on Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and India. Given that Peruvian shrimp is not subject to tariffs, its share is expected to rise from 34% last year to 70% this year.

For products with no clear substitutes, demand has not shifted even as prices have risen. According to Lotte Mart, sales from January to May this year of Norwegian salmon rose by 13.7%, Russian king crab and snow crab by 5.7%, and Canadian lobster by 31.9%, each compared to the same period last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.