Waitrose is the first UK supermarket to suspend the sale of mackerel to stop overfishing. The chain has announced that it will direct customers to alternatives considered more sustainable, such as herring and sardines, to help protect threatened stocks in the North-East Atlantic.
The decision comes after the Marine Conservation Society had raised an alarm: according to the association, mackerel populations have reached a critical point due to overexploitation. In his “Good Fish Guide”, the fish sustainability guide, mackerel has been downgraded from level 3 to level 4 on a scale of five, a sign of significant deterioration.
The study
A recent study by University of East Anglia called on supermarkets to encourage consumers to broaden their fish diet by including local species with a lower environmental impact, such as herring and sardines.
Already last September, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) had recommended reducing mackerel fishing in the North-East Atlantic by 70% to allow stocks to rebuild to sustainable levels after years of overexploitation.
According to Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK, the data represents a clear warning: there is a risk of total collapse of the mackerel population, with knock-on consequences for numerous other marine species.
Yet in December, the UK nations agreed to a 48% reduction in fishing quotas, well below the 70% cut indicated by the ICES. In the same month, WWF also expressed strong concern: since 2010, mackerel catches in the North-East Atlantic have exceeded the levels recommended by scientists on average by 39%.
The latest statistics also indicate that, starting in May, mackerel catches in the area will no longer meet the criteria established by the Sustainable Seafood Coalition.
According to Tagholm, he underlined the responsibility cannot fall exclusively on retailers and consumers, but it is governments who establish catch limits and implement a coherent and truly effective strategy to put an end to overfishing. With iconic species such as cod and mackerel ever closer to the point of no return, action is needed now.
Meanwhile, for its part, Waitrose will promote the sale of herring, sardines and sea bass as sustainable and nutritious alternatives to mackerel.
Sustainable food production must strike a balance between climate action and nature protection: responsible management of fish resources is essential to protect the oceans, says Marija Rompani, director of ethics and sustainability at the John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose.
The choice of the supermarket opens up an important front: can large-scale retail trade lead the change even before politics? Meanwhile, scientists are clear: without drastic and immediate cuts, North-East Atlantic mackerel risks becoming yet another victim of out-of-control fishing.
