Waitrose stops selling mackerel in all of its UK branches over sustainability fears

A major supermarket in the UK has pulled mackerel from its shelves across the country amid growing alarm over dwindling fish stocks.

Waitrose has become the first company in Britain to stop selling the popular fish altogether, scrapping fresh, chilled and frozen products in a bid to combat overfishing.

Canned versions will also disappear once current stocks run out, meaning shoppers may soon have trouble finding any form of mackerel in stores.

Last year, the International Council for Marine Research (ICES) recommended a 70 percent reduction in mackerel catch in the northeast Atlantic by 2026.

He added that the species was ‘on the brink’ and that the wider fishing industry could face long-term risks if countries did not comply with recommended catch limits.

Waitrose said the decision in December by the UK, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland to reduce hunting by 48 per cent was a step forward but still did not meet ICES advice.

The supermarket therefore said it could no longer justify selling the fish under responsible sourcing rules that align with the industry’s sustainability standards.

Jake Pickering, head of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries at Waitrose, said: ‘By suspending the supply of mackerel at Waitrose, we are strengthening our ethical and sustainable trading commitments by taking action to tackle overfishing and protect the long-term health of our oceans and these important fish.

‘Our customers trust us to source responsibly and we keep a close eye on fisheries.

‘We look forward to bringing mackerel back to our shelves once it meets our high sourcing standards.’

The retailer sources its mackerel from Scottish waters but said current conditions meant the mackerel no longer met the required environmental criteria.

But the move has also reignited debate about the wider fishing industry; particularly the role of farmed salmon in exacerbating these problems.

Patrick Holden, CEO of the Sustainable Food Foundation, told the Daily Mail that if we want mackerel back on the shelves we need to stop selling farmed salmon instead.

‘Sadly our insatiable appetite for farmed salmon is why Waitrose has been left with no choice but to remove mackerel from its shelves.

‘It is estimated that almost half of the total annual ocean fish harvest, including countless thousands of tonnes of mackerel, is now fed by farmed salmon.

‘The disturbing truth is that open salmon farming is not only a highly inefficient use of fish we could eat ourselves, it is also an environmental disaster and a threat to wild Atlantic salmon extinction.

‘If we want Waitrose to put mackerel back on the shelves the best we can do is encourage them to stop selling farmed salmon.’

To fill this gap, the chain is launching alternative products, including a new range of smoked fish such as herring and sea bass, all of which are sustainably sourced certified.

It is also introducing frozen sardines instead, with plans to sell only fully certified sustainable canned sardines in the future.

However, there is no timeline for the return of mackerel, so shoppers may have to wait a while for the mackerel to return.