Premium Seafood from Scotland

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Under the support of Scottish Development International (SDI), Aeon-affiliated seafood sections are continuing their campaign to promote the appeal of Scottish mackerel this year. The presence of Scottish mackerel is increasing in stores. The fishing season for Scottish mackerel is from September to around January of the following year. The main fishing grounds are two locations: the western North Atlantic and the North Sea. Mackerel enter Scottish waters from the western North Atlantic in September and migrate south until reaching the Bay of Biscay in March. Mackerel caught in the western North Atlantic from September to January are said to have good flesh quality and rich fat content. There are fishing methods using trawlers and purse seiners, but in recent years, differences in flesh quality have reportedly disappeared. Recently, possibly due to changes in seawater temperature, mackerel tend to migrate into British waters earlier than before, and large, fattier mackerel are landed right offshore, creating an environment where they can be processed while maintaining freshness. The volume of Scottish mackerel in the Japanese market has grown significantly, from approximately 2,000 tons in fiscal year 2020 to a remarkable 17,650 tons in fiscal year 2025. In terms of import value, it expanded from 0.76 billion yen in FY2020 to 11.4 billion yen in FY2025. During this period, its market share expanded from less than 2% to currently about 20%. This clearly indicates that it has established its position in the Japanese market. Besides seafood, the main attraction of Scotland is its traditional Scotch whisky, which is highly regarded worldwide. It offers a wide variety of fine whiskies, including single malts, grains, and blends, irresistible to whisky lovers. Stephen Baker, Scotland Government Special Envoy for Trade and Investment in Japan, stated, "While Scotch whisky is world-renowned, seafood is also a very important industry. I am very pleased that Aeon is once again promoting mackerel. I am happy that the pairing of Scotch whisky and Scottish mackerel, introduced during Minister Richard Lochhead's visit to Japan last year, has already been realized in this current project. I hope that everyone in Japan will enjoy this pairing at home, just like the people of Scotland." Baker, Scotland Government Special Envoy for Trade and Investment in Japan (left), and Yoshidat, Senior Commercial Officer (center), promote mackerel. Chanel Nakamura, Sales Executive at Brave New Spirits, introduces whisky as a pairing. Keigo Yoshida, Senior Commercial Officer (Food and Beverages) at SDI, commented, "The deliciousness of a meal is maximized by pairing food and beverages. Scotland is one of the few countries that can promote itself through this kind of pairing. Just as countries with delicious wine have delicious cuisine, Scottish food, with its world-renowned whisky, is also of a very high standard. This time, we focused on mackerel, which is familiar in Japan, and proposed a pairing of fatty Scottish mackerel and whisky. It is, of course, delicious on its own, but pairing it doubles or triples its appeal." Furthermore, a new small-sized addition, "Oujisaba" (皇子鯖), has joined the highly popular "Rokusu Salted Mackerel" (using Rokusu salt) and the large-sized "Daiosaba" (大王鯖), both made with Scottish mackerel and sold nationwide at Aeon Retail by Kanejo Osaki Co., Ltd. (Choshi City, Chiba), further promoting the high quality of Scottish mackerel.

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