Waitrose to Suspend Mackerel Sales Amid Overfishing Worries
Waitrose has announced it will suspend sales of mackerel products due to concerns regarding overfishing. The supermarket stated it will cease sourcing fresh, chilled, and frozen mackerel by 29 April, and will also stop selling tinned mackerel once current stock is depleted.
Marine organizations have advised reducing the catch of North East Atlantic mackerel to prevent stock collapse. Waitrose indicated it is the first UK supermarket to suspend mackerel sales and will only resume stocking the fish when it meets their stringent sourcing standards.
Mackerel is the most caught fish in British waters, with UK vessels landing over 230,000 tonnes of the species in 2024. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which provides scientific guidance on sustainable fishing, has reported that mackerel has been overfished in recent years due to a lack of international quota agreements. Consequently, the breeding rate is insufficient to replace the volume being caught.
In December, the UK, Norway, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland agreed to reduce mackerel catches by 48%, but Waitrose considers this reduction inadequate.
All mackerel sold by Waitrose is sourced from Scottish waters. The supermarket stated that from May 2026, North East Atlantic mackerel will no longer comply with its responsible sourcing criteria.
Jake Pickering, head of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries at Waitrose, said: "By suspending sourcing of mackerel at Waitrose, we are reinforcing our ethical and sustainable business commitments, acting to tackle overfishing and protect the long-term health of our oceans and this crucial fish."
Waitrose, owned by the John Lewis Partnership, plans to replace its mackerel products with alternatives that are responsibly sourced to "make a stand against overfishing and support long-term health and sustainability of fish stocks." All replacement products will carry the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.
Last year, the Marine Conservation Society highlighted that mackerel is "under immense pressure from fishing activities across multiple nations, and the stock will soon be no longer able to sustain itself." The society welcomed Waitrose's decision. Kerry Lyne, Good Fish Guide manager at the society, stated:
"To keep favourites like mackerel on the menu, we need support right across the supply chain with fishing kept within sustainable limits."
Most UK mackerel fishing occurs in Scotland, where the industry has reacted to Waitrose’s announcement with concern. Ian Gatt of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association criticized the timing, noting that progress was ongoing in quota-sharing negotiations between countries.
Charles Clover, co-founder of the conservation charity Blue Marine Foundation, described overfishing as a "crisis" that has been "ignored for too long." He added:
"The plight of the mackerel is part of a wider failure to take scientific advice intended to keep stocks healthy and able to recover from fishing pressure.
We hope that this action by Waitrose sends it to the top of the political agenda," he said.
"Last year more than half of UK catch limits were set above sustainable levels."
Additional reporting by Helen Briggs.
