Home / Environment / Waitrose suspends mackerel sales due to overfishing
Waitrose suspends mackerel sales due to overfishing
26 Feb
Summary
- Waitrose has suspended mackerel sales, becoming the first UK supermarket to do so.
- Stocks were downgraded due to overfishing, with warnings of potential collapse.
- The supermarket will promote herring, sardines, and sea bass as alternatives.
Waitrose has become the first UK supermarket to suspend the sale of mackerel, citing overfishing as the primary concern. This decision comes after the Marine Conservation Society warned that mackerel stocks were critically low. They downgraded mackerel on their sustainability scale, urging support for fishing within sustainable limits to preserve popular fish.
A study from the University of East Anglia recommended supermarkets encourage consumers to explore diverse fish options like herring and sardines. Environmental charities have warned of potential population collapse and endangerment of other marine species if current overexploitation continues. International bodies had recommended significant cuts to mackerel fishing in the north-east Atlantic to aid stock recovery.
