More and more mackerel from Norway is being consumed in Japan at a time when the fish species caught off the Asian country has been losing its appeal recently due to falling quality.
Fall is the best season for mackerel, but many of the fish caught in waters around Japan are small and therefore unpopular.
About 261,000 tons of mackerel was unloaded at ports in Japan in 2023, the second-largest amount after that of the Japanese sardine and far larger than 26,000 tons of saury, for which fall is also the best season, according to data from the fisheries ministry. Mackerel catches have remained robust this year.
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