The mix of seafood origins at large discount stores is shifting rapidly as climate change collides with fishing quota limits. As Norwegian mackerel supply plunged, domestic mackerel regained its price competitiveness, while shrimp sourcing shifted from Southeast Asia toward Peru, accelerating the diversification of supply origins for major seafood products.
According to the retail industry on Saturday, E-mart's sales of domestic mackerel rose 49.4% from January to May this year compared with the same period last year. By contrast, sales of imported mackerel fell 5.0%. At Lotte Mart, overall mackerel sales increased 20.8% over the same period, but the growth rate of imported mackerel sales was only 4.0%.
The key factor behind rising imported mackerel prices is the sharp drop in Norwegian supply. The Norwegian government set this year's mackerel catch quota at 79,000 tons. The quota, which stood at 215,000 tons in 2024 and 165,000 tons in 2025, has fallen to about one-third within two years. The measure follows scientific recommendations from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). With mackerel stocks declining due to overfishing, Norwegian mackerel also lost its sustainable fishery certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in 2019.
As supply shrank, prices surged. The import unit price of frozen Norwegian mackerel jumped roughly threefold, from $2 per kilogram last year to $6 in May this year. The retail price of one bundle of imported salted mackerel also rose more than 30%, from 8,149 won last year to 10,701 won this year.
Domestic mackerel prices, by contrast, actually fell. Based on wholesale dealer prices, the price of 10 kilograms of domestic frozen mackerel dropped more than 10%, from 49,348 won in May last year to 43,771 won last month. In the past, Norwegian mackerel dominated store shelves with its size and price competitiveness, but this year a reversal emerged, with domestic mackerel gaining an edge on price as well.
Large discount stores are responding by securing domestic volumes and diversifying supply origins. E-mart is holding domestic mackerel discount events with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and plans to more than double its domestic mackerel reserves this year compared with last year.
However, items without clear substitutes showed that demand does not shift even when prices rise. According to Lotte Mart, sales of Norwegian salmon rose 13.7% from January to May this year compared with the same period last year, while Russian snow crab and king crab rose 5.7% and Canadian lobster rose 31.9%.
"Climate change and fishing quota limits are shaking the seafood procurement structure that relied on specific countries," a retail industry official said. "Going forward, competition for diversifying supply origins, considering not just price but also supply stability, will become more intense."
