waitrose mackerel

Waitrose has become the first retailer to reintroduce Marine Stewardship Council-accredited canned mackerel after the North East Atlantic fishery won back its sustainable status.

Tins sold under the Essential Waitrose own-label range carrying the MSC eco-label started rolling out into stores this week after a four-year absence. It is understood Waitrose plans to reintroduce other MSC-certified mackerel SKUs over the next few months.

The MSC suspended its sustainable certificates for all mackerel caught in the North East Atlantic fishery in April 2012 in response to the flouting of scientific advice on sustainable catch levels over the previous two years, and a breakdown of international agreements and negotiations to manage stock.

But after a “long battle for sustainability” led by an international coalition called The Mackerel Industry Northern Sustainability Alliance (Minsa), the NGO announced in May that stock levels had recovered sufficiently for the fishery to win back its MSC certification, with Sainsbury’s becoming the first retailer to relist MSC-certified chilled mackerel soon afterwards.

“Over the past few years the sustainability of mackerel has been a hot topic,” said MSC programme director for the North East Atlantic Toby Middleton, adding the fishery had worked “extremely hard” to regain certification.

“Waitrose, building on its longstanding support for independent certification, is the first retailer to achieve this for its canned mackerel.”

Waitrose aquaculture and fisheries manager Jeremy Ryland Langley said: “This helps us to get even closer to achieving our commitment that by 2017 all Waitrose fish and shellfish will be independently certified as responsibly caught or farmed to a recognised third-party standard.”