Major retailers commit to review mackerel sourcing policies

The major retailers have committed to reviewing their policies on mackerel sourcing following Waitrose’s decision to stop sourcing. 

Last week, Waitrose announced it would stop its sourcing of fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel by 29 April, with tinned lines to follow once the current stock had been sold, after the most recent northeast Atlantic mackerel quota was set above scientific advice by the UK, Norway, Iceland, and Faroe Islands.

Whilst praised by environmental groups, Waitrose was condemned by fishing groups, which accused it of “unfairly penalising the UK” whilst the Scottish government questioned the sourcing standards of alternative stocks.

Since then, M&S has confirmed it has also stopped sourcing mackerel for now. It said it would be following Fisheries Improvement Project guidance, which the retailer said is to stop sourcing mackerel from the northeast Atlantic fishery from April. 

Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have also confirmed they would be reviewing their supplies.

Ahead of its next annual bulk purchase of the fish in autumn, Sainsbury’s warned it would diversify away from the fish, “while stocks recover and [we] hope to have these on shelf in the next couple of months”.

“We’re committed to supporting responsible fisheries and continue to work closely with our suppliers and industry partners to encourage a sustainable quota‑sharing agreement for northeast Atlantic mackerel,” the spokesperson said.

“Our next purchasing window is in October/November, and unless there is clear and credible progress towards a sustainable international agreement by that point, we will not be sourcing additional northeast Atlantic mackerel.”

Morrisons said it would be moving all its tinned mackerel to Chilean jack mackerel, sourced from a Marine Stewardship Council certified fishery. 

To support the British fishing industry, Morrisons said it would continue to stock fresh northeast Atlantic mackerel, but only if it is not classified as ‘avoid’ by the Good Fish Guide, compiled by the Marine Conservation Society.

Morrisons further stressed it remained committed to the North Atlantic Pelagic Advisory Group, formed in response to the continuing dispute between coastal states over mackerel quota allocation in the northeast Atlantic.

Read more

• Waitrose’s mackerel ban condemned by Scottish fishing groups

• Waitrose suspends mackerel sourcing over sustainability concerns

• New northeast mackerel agreement questioned by MCS and Oceana

Mackerel was the most landed fish by UK vessels into UK ports in January, with a live weight of 25,648 tonnes, valued at £35.3m, or £1,378 per tonne [Marine Management Organisation]. 

However, the most recent edition of MCS’s Good Fish Guide found northeast Atlantic mackerel had been overfished by an average of 23% over the past four years.

Kerry Lyne, Good Fish Guide manager at the organisation, said the decision to suspend sourcing the species by Waitrose was a “necessary and responsible step”.

“For mackerel stocks to return to sustainable levels, the core requirement is clear: quotas must be set in line with scientific advice,” Lyne said. “For 2026, scientists advised that catches should not exceed 174,357 tonnes – a 70% reduction on the previous year’s advice, which was ignored.”

Lyne asserted it would be “challenging” to estimate a time of recovery for mackerel stocks, but stressed setting catches in line with scientific advice would “ease pressure”, although much depended on wider environmental factors.

The conservationist further defended the measures in the face of criticism from stakeholders, such as the Scottish government, which said the move threatened the British fishing industry.

“Quotas set above scientific advice put both the marine environment and the future of the mackerel fishers at risk,” Lyne added. “This is why action cannot wait, and why retailer leadership is so important in signalling that overfishing is unacceptable.”

Dr Daisy Brickhill, communications director at Oceana UK, said protecting mackerel stocks was “not an impossibly complex thing to do”.

“Our government must use that data alongside the precautionary principle, so that we are not fishing these populations down to the smallest margin of population replenishment but are rebuilding stocks and allowing for other pressures such as the climate crisis,” Brickhill continued. “It must think long-term, so that we have a clear strategy for ending overfishing once and for all.”

Brickhill pointed to International Council for the Exploration of the Seas data showing the mackerel spawning stock biomass increased about 390% between 2002 and 2012.

Between 2002 and 2005 the total allowable catch was cut by about 38%, she said, and although the amount varied it remained below the 2002 value until 2010.

“This goes to show that UK fish populations have an incredible ability to bounce back,” she added. “However, if we fish them to full collapse, as we are on course for, we could be looking at decades before a full recovery.”