UK mackerel supplies under threat as new scientific advice recommends 70% cut to catch in Northeast Atlantic: MSC reactive comment.
Erin Priddle, Director of Northern Europe at the Marine Stewardship Council, said:
“The advice is a stark warning: without urgent action, mackerel stocks are at very real risk of collapse. The science is clear, and now, after years of inaction, governments must put aside political deadlock and work together to agree quotas in line with scientific evidence for the long-term sustainability of this critically important species.
“The MSC has been calling for action for years, urging decision-makers to heed the science before it’s too late for this vital stock. Sustainable alternatives are available, with some brands already choosing to switch, but lasting change will only come if ministers act now to safeguard the future of this iconic species and the fisheries and communities that depend on it.”
Overview:
- Scientific advice released by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) recommends a 70% reduction in catch for mackerel to protect the stock.
- The new advice shows that overfishing has left Northeast Atlantic mackerel at biologically unsafe levels.
- UK shelves are typically stocked with Atlantic mackerel – however brands across the UK and Europe are starting to switch to more sustainable alternatives.
- The Marine Stewardship Council is calling on governments to act and urgently agree quotas in line with scientific advice, following years of political deadlock and continued fishing above sustainable limits.
Additional information:
- The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a global, independent, non-profit organisation that sets scientific standards for sustainable fishing. The blue MSC ecolabel, displayed on seafood products worldwide, helps consumers identify and choose sustainably sourced fish and seafood.
- Currently there are no certified sustainable mackerel products available on UK shelves. Princes has announced its branded UK product line will be switching mackerel sourcing from the Northeast Atlantic to Chilean Jack Mackerel, an MSC certified alternative.
- For over a decade the governments fishing waters in the Northeast Atlantic (including the UK, EU, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Russia) have failed to reach quota agreements in line with scientific advice – instead setting individual quotas, that when combined, surpass the advised catch limit. The next negotiations will take place in mid-October.
- A stock collapse occurs when a fish population (or “stock”) declines to such a low level that it can no longer sustain itself through natural reproduction. Recovery, if possible, can take decades and often requires strict management or a complete halt in fishing.