11 species · 9 origins · 12 months · Fat content · FOB price correlation
Global frozen mackerel fishing season calendar — When to Buy, What Fat Content to Expect, and How Seasons Drive FOB Prices
Every frozen mackerel fishing season calendar decision is a timing decision: Q2 availability differs from Q4, and mackerel catch season labels on COAs should match the month column you priced. Pelagic fish catch season schedule for import planning stacks Norway and Iceland against Japan, Peru, Namibia, Australia and India on one grid — with mackerel harvesting season and fob price correlation called out in §3. Peruvian jurel runs two national windows (S1/S2 on the matrix). Australian Scomber australasicus peaks in the grid’s austral autumn band. This page is the mackerel fat percentage by catching season crosswalk and norwegian atlantic mackerel catch season dates / peruvian jack mackerel fishing season quotas / japan chub mackerel peak harvesting months lookup — not a repeat of long-form origin stories.
When is the best time to buy frozen mackerel in bulk? Read horizontally for one species across months; read vertically for what is simultaneously “green” in autumn catch frozen mackerel high fat content lanes versus winter catch pacific mackerel season schedule cold-store bands. Frozen mackerel buy window procurement planning and frozen mackerel price by season tie to §4–§5. For methodology depth use frozen mackerel fat content specification guide and frozen mackerel price per ton — FOB benchmark.
The 12-Month Frozen Mackerel Season Calendar — All Origins, All Species
Read horizontally to plan one line across the year; read vertically to see which rows share a strong month. Parenthetical fat bands are indicative for fresh-catch peaks (Soxhlet-style specs on quotes) — cold-store drawdown can differ. Best month to buy frozen mackerel is not universal: it is the intersection of your HS line, destination cold capacity and the colour code below.
Norway · S. scombrus
Atlantic mackerel
Iceland · S. scombrus
Atlantic mackerel
Morocco · S. scombrus / T. trachurus
Atlantic + horse mackerel
Mauritania · T. trachurus FAS
Horse mackerel sea frozen
Japan · S. japonicus
Pacific chub mackerel
Japan/Korea · T. japonicus
Japanese jack mackerel
Peru · T. murphyi (jurel)
Chilean jack mackerel
Peru · S. japonicus (caballa)
Pacific chub mackerel
Namibia · T. capensis
Cape horse mackerel
Australia · S. australasicus
Blue mackerel
India · R. kanagurta
Indian mackerel
Legend matches hero. Peru S1 = first national season window · S2 = second — dates vary. India CLOSED = no routine landings for export planning in those months. Verify each lot with COA fat and health certificates.
Fat Content by Catching Season — Why Autumn Catch Commands a Premium
Tender desks use season labels as shorthand for lipid: autumn catch frozen mackerel high fat content rows on Norwegian and Japanese lines coincide with darker green cells above; winter catch pacific mackerel season schedule often means cold-store or inter-season packs, not the same minima as October landings. The table below maps peak vs lean bands to relative FOB behaviour — not biological mechanism (see species pages for that).
| Species / Origin | Peak fat season | Peak fat % | Lean season | Lean fat % | FOB premium at peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. scombrus — Norway/Iceland | Sep–Nov (boreal autumn) | 20–28% | Apr–Jun | 6–10% | Large premium vs lean |
| S. japonicus — Japan/Korea | Oct–Dec | 14–20% | Mar–Jun | 6–10% | Premium vs year-round Humboldt chub |
| S. australasicus — Australia | Mar–May (austral autumn) | 14–20% | Jul–Nov | 8–12% | Moderate premium vs off-peak |
| T. japonicus — Japan (Pacific) | Sep–Nov | 14–22% | Mar–Jun | 6–10% | Meaningful premium |
| T. capensis — Namibia | Mar–May (austral autumn) | 12–14% | Jul–Aug | 6–7% | Mid premium |
| S. japonicus — Peru (caballa) | Stable year-round | 8–14% | — | 8–10% floor | Low seasonal spread |
| T. murphyi — Peru (jurel) | Quota windows (S1/S2) | 8–14% | Tight-supply years | 6–10% | Price can spike when quotas bind |
| R. kanagurta — India | Jan–May (pre-closure) | 6–12% | Jun–Sep (closure) | Cold store only | Post-closure reopening firm |
frozen mackerel fat content specification guide
FOB Price Correlation — How Fishing Seasons Drive Wholesale Mackerel Prices
Mackerel harvesting season and fob price correlation shows up as three recurring beats: pre-season firming, peak-throughput softening, and late drawdown bidding. Buyers who anchor FOB tenders to the middle beat often beat spot buyers chasing the last cold-store week.
CS = cold store · ↑ PRE = pre-season firming · PEAK = high landings / contracting window · ↓ MID = mid-season softening · $$$ = peak specification band. Patterns shift with currency, fuel and quota headlines.
Rule 1 — Contract at throughput, not after thin inventory. Align execution with dark-green months on the master grid for your species.
Rule 2 — Forward before the colour flips to PEAK. Pre-season months on the mini-grid are where many annual programmes print.
Rule 3 — Match instrument to calendar risk. Spot for year-round rows; frameworks or forwards for heavy seasonal rows; documented drawdown for India closure months if your channel cannot skip the species.
The Four Best Buy Windows for Frozen Mackerel in Bulk — Q1 to Q4 Guide
Crossing all rows yields four practical frozen mackerel buy window procurement planning clusters — each with different species on peak and different price risk.
Northern cold store + Indian pre-closure
Fresh / open water: Peru jurel S1 · Australia opening
Cold store: Norway / Iceland / Japan prior-year packs
Action: Lock India coverage before grey cells · Request Australia slots for Mar–May
Risk: Norwegian drawdown pricing into March
Australia peak + Namibia austral peak
Fresh: Australia S. australasicus PEAK · Namibia T. capensis peak
Strategic note: Northern Scomber rows are not in PEAK — premium buyers who need high-lipid Scomber in this quarter lean on the Australian row.
Action: Execute Australia contracts placed in Q1 · Close Namibia peak tenders before May exit
Pre-season for boreal openings
Opening: Norway / Iceland / Japan Scomber lanes · Peru jurel S2 transition
Action: Issue forward requests in Jul–Aug before September colour stack
Risk: India grey months — no fresh landings on the grid
Boreal peak — Norway + Japan darkest green
Fresh: Norway / Japan PEAK cells · India row returns to GOOD
Action: Draw forward contracts signed in Q3 · Book next-year Australia pre-season paper in December
Annual Procurement Planning Template — How to Schedule Frozen Mackerel Imports Across 12 Months
Copy the rhythm, then replace column 3 with your real species mix and destination markets. Add CIF legs where your finance team clears landed cost, not only FOB origin.
| Month | Key market event | Recommended action | Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Peru S1 open · Norway cold store thins | Secure boreal cold-store lots for Q1 needs | Spot / short PO |
| February | India last green cells · Australia preview | India coverage · Australia pre-season offers | Framework · forward offer |
| March | Australia opens · Namibia peak | Execute Australia · Namibia peak | Forward · LC |
| April–May | Australia PEAK · Namibia tail | Take Australia peak · wind down Namibia | Spot + framework |
| June | India closure · Australia lean shift | Draw India stock · Australia cold store | Framework drawdown |
| July | Boreal pre-season paper appears | Request Norway / Japan forwards · watch Peru S2 notice | Forward request |
| August | Norway / Japan open · Peru S2 | Contract openings · S2 jurel lines | Forward · LC |
| September | Japan stack toward PEAK | Close September pricing for October landings | Forward |
| October | Norway + Japan PEAK · India post-closure | Execute forwards · India spot reopen | Forward execution · spot |
| November | Highest lipid rows for boreal Scomber | Peak-spec execution · plan next Australia cycle | LC sight · forward request |
| December | Boreal season tail | Closing lots · February Australia slots | Spot · forward |
Matching the instrument to the calendar row
- → Year-round blue rows (Peru caballa, Mauritania FAS): spot and short tenor POs
- → Heavy seasonal PEAK rows (Norway, Japan, Australia): forwards struck before colour shift
- → India grey months: framework + standby letter of credit (SBLC) if your channel must bridge closure — place before cells turn red
- → Quota headline risk (Norwegian autumn): build volume tolerance on POs; follow public quota communiqués via your broker — not repeated here
- → Southeast Pacific jurel: add a climate stress case in finance models when forward curves look too flat
frozen mackerel price per ton — FOB benchmark updated monthly
Frequently Asked Questions — Frozen Mackerel Season Calendar
- When is the best time to buy frozen mackerel in bulk and which species?
- The best buy window depends on species and specification. For high-fat Northern Hemisphere Scomber (Norwegian Atlantic mackerel or Japanese Pacific mackerel), many buyers forward-contract in late boreal summer before the autumn volume window. For austral-autumn Scomber australasicus, contract slots typically sit in the first quarter for March–May production. Year-round commodity lines such as Peruvian caballa and Moroccan horse mackerel can be bought spot with less calendar risk. Indian mackerel buyers usually lock framework coverage before the mid-year closure window on the Arabian Sea coast.
- Why does autumn catch frozen mackerel have higher fat content than other seasons?
- Procurement teams label fat by calendar because wholesale specs quote minimum lipid by landing month — not because this page repeats biology chapters found on species pages. On this calendar, PEAK cells align with boreal autumn for Norway and Japan and with austral autumn for Australia and Namibia. Use Soxhlet or agreed lab methods on each lot; the grid is a planning overlay, not a substitute for COA numbers.
- What are the main fishing season dates for Norwegian mackerel, Japanese mackerel and Peruvian jack mackerel?
- Norwegian Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) typically opens in boreal late summer and peaks September–November on this grid. Japanese Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus) peaks September–January with landings concentrated through major Pacific export ports. Peruvian jurel (Trachurus murphyi) shows two management windows (S1 / S2) on the matrix — exact open/close dates shift with national season notices; pair the calendar with your exporter’s PRODUCE-aligned sailing schedule.
- How does the mackerel fishing season affect FOB prices?
- FOB levels usually show a pre-season firming band, a peak-production window where competition between plants is strongest, and a late-season or cold-store phase where remaining packs reprice. Forward frameworks placed in the peak-throughput window often beat panic spot buys after fresh landings taper. Year-round species dull that three-phase curve. Climate-tight years on Southeast Pacific pelagic lines can add a risk premium — monitor your finance team’s stress case separately from this indicative grid.
Season Calendar — All Linked Pages
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