BAKU, Azerbaijan - Mackerel has become harder to find in Azerbaijani markets and stores, with some retailers charging 30 manats per kilogram as weak demand and high import costs lead sellers to reduce or stop orders.
Customers are turning away from the fish because of its price, while traders say bringing in stock is becoming unprofitable, according to a Vesti Baku report.
Mackerel is imported into Azerbaijan mainly in frozen form. Its retail price therefore reflects not only the purchase cost but also transportation and the expense of maintaining the required temperature during delivery and storage.
Economist Khalid Kerimli attributed the increase to a combination of fishing limits and higher energy and transportation costs. Military conflicts have complicated logistics, he said, while expensive energy has increased delivery costs.
“On the one hand, fishing restrictions reduce supply. On the other, the cost of importing the available product into the country is increasing,” Kerimli said in the report.
Frozen fish is particularly sensitive to those expenses because an uninterrupted cold chain must be maintained until the product reaches the buyer. Customs payments also form part of the final price.
The result is a cycle in which mackerel becomes more expensive, demand falls and some sellers reduce purchases or stop carrying it.
ICES Recommends Higher 2027 Catch Limit
International fishing limits are intended to help stocks recover. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, or ICES, advises that catches of Northeast Atlantic mackerel in 2027 should not exceed 352,938 metric tons.
That is above the council’s 2026 recommendation of 174,357 tons. The higher recommended catch does not by itself determine the price in Azerbaijani stores, which also depends on purchase terms, transportation, storage and importer costs.
The original television report includes market footage and Kerimli’s comments.