By José Ocares, Operations Manager

The Chilean jack mackerel (jurel) fishery has undergone one of the most profound transformations in the modern food industry. What in the early 2000s was considered a resource destined almost exclusively for the production of marine ingredients, today stands consolidated as a strategic pillar of global human nutrition.

Twenty years ago, approximately 85% of the jack mackerel caught along the Chilean coast was allocated to fishmeal production. Today, the landscape is radically opposite: Blumar commits 90% of its processed catches into direct frozen formats for human consumption—with the industry as a whole reaching around 65%—redefining the country’s role in global food security.

The cold revolution and the conquest of new markets

This paradigm shift did not happen by chance; it was the result of a major technological and infrastructural evolution and investment. The key to this transformation rests on two pillars:

• Onboard refrigeration technology: Fishing vessels incorporated advanced cooling systems that maintain the catch at optimal temperatures from the moment it leaves the ocean, preserving its nutritional properties intact.
• High-capacity freezing plants: Investment on land allowed for the processing of thousands of tons under international quality standards, yielding a highly competitive product.

Thanks to these innovations, Chilean frozen jack mackerel successfully broke into emerging and highly demanding global markets, becoming an accessible and remarkably nutritious protein source for countries in Africa (such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast), Latin America (such as Peru), and various Asian markets.

Science-based sustainability: How fishing works in Chile today

Hand in hand with commercial modernization, harvesting methods evolved under a strict commitment to the ecosystem. It is a fact that bottom trawling for pelagic species no longer exists in Chile; today, operations are carried out exclusively through purse seine fishing systems.

The selectivity of this system is one of its greatest technical attributes. Because jack mackerel schools travel in compact, homogeneous groups of the same species, purse-seine net maneuvers make it possible to capture the target species precisely. Thanks to this, current operations register extremely low levels of bycatch, protecting the surrounding marine biodiversity.

Furthermore, the current regulatory framework ensures that business does not overshadow conservation. In Chile, catch quotas are set under scientific criteria established by a technical scientific committee of the SPRFMO (South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation or ORP-PS), where scientists from each member country analyze strategies to ensure the resource’s sustainability. In Chile, this process is backed by research from the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) and INPESCA, alongside guidelines from the Undersecretariat of Fisheries (Subpesca), which annually dictates quotas based on SPRFMO recommendations to secure the species’ future.

Additionally, oversight of the activity is complete and transparent, as 100% of the fleet operates under permanent satellite tracking, enabling real-time monitoring of navigation routes and operational areas for every vessel.

Blumar’s commitment to the future of food

For Blumar, leading this technological and commercial transformation connects directly with its corporate purpose: “We nourish people while honoring the ocean.” Treating jack mackerel as a direct food source for the world’s population requires elevating operational standards and recognizing that environmental stewardship is the foundation of long-term business continuity.

Looking ahead, Chilean jack mackerel is positioned as an indispensable product in addressing global food security challenges, thanks to its competitive carbon footprint and high nutritional value in omega-3s and high-quality protein. Under that vision, the company’s interest in resource sustainability is direct and pragmatic: safeguarding the ocean today is the only path to continue feeding the world tomorrow.