Common Name	Atlantic Mackerel	Conservation Notes
Scientific Name	Scomber scrombus	Sustainability Information
Market Names	Common Mackerel, Boston Mackerel	Buying Tips
Sushi Name	Saba	Health/Nutrition

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Atlantic Mackerel Market Alert - updated September 2011

No matter where you look and how you want to look at it, mackerel is a mess.  On this side of the Atlantic, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service decided to lower the 2012 quota from this year’s level of almost 50,000 metric tons to about 34,000 metric tons. Normally, fishermen howl when their quotas are lowered, but that’s not the case with mackerel. The quota is still way too high fishermen argue. Say what?

That’s because U.S. fishermen are catching less and less mackerel each year and are a long way from catching their quota, which has been about 50,000 metric tons for five years. Since 2006, U.S. catches of Atlantic mackerel have declined from 26,500 metric tons to just 4,800 metric tons last year and fishermen fear the stock has collapsed.  The big mackerel quotas, which were first announced in the late 1990s, resulted in a big increase in investment in mackerel catching and processing in the Northeast. Given how hard it has proved to find the fish lately most of those investments have gone bust. This April, the last large mackerel processing plant in New England shut its doors.

For all practical purposes, this year’s offshore mackerel fishery, which produces the bulk of the catch, is over, as it takes place in the winter. To date, U.S. fishermen have landed just 450 metric tons of Atlantic mackerel, just 1% of their quota. Whether U.S. Atlantic mackerel stocks have collapsed or not is a subject of debate. Recent studies by fisheries scientists suggest that warmer waters have pushed Atlantic mackerel into inshore waters to the northeast of their normal locations and out of reach of U.S. boats.

On the other side of the Atlantic, mackerel is even messier, as fleets from the Faeroe Islands and Iceland again this year defied the advice of EU fisheries managers and each country unilaterally declared their own quota of about 150,000 metric tons.  Fisheries managers in the Faeroes and Iceland argue that changing migratory patterns have pushed more mackerel into their waters and they should be allowed to catch them. That has infuriated fishermen and processors in Scotland and Norway, who argue that all countries must work together to protect these highly migratory stocks.  Norway and Scotland have tried to get the EU to adopt sanctions against the mackerel mavericks, but so far to no avail. Meanwhile, the EU and Norway are fishing on a near record quota this year of some 650,000 metric tons, but fear that the stocks are being damaged as the combined mackerel harvest will be close to 1 million metric tons in the northeast Atlantic this year.

On the brighter side, inshore fishing for mackerel off New England has been decent this summer, with medium size fresh whole mackerel selling to distributors for prices averaging between $1.50 to $2/lb.

Conservation Notes

Life History/Inherent Vulnerability: Atlantic mackerel is a fast-growing fish that’s also highly migratory, helping it withstand fishing pressure.

Status of Stocks/Abundance: The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service reports that Atlantic mackerel are at 257% above the target level. However, the Blue Ocean Institute reports that while they’re not being overfished, Atlantic mackerel in Europe are being harvested outside of safe biological limits.

Fishing Impacts on Habitat: Most Atlantic mackerel is caught between Maine and New Jersey using purse seines or trawl nets, according to the New England Aquarium. Purse seines allow for a targeted catch because fishermen can easily locate and identify the fish they’re seeking. Pelagic and mid-water trawl nets are less impactful on the marine environment than bottom trawl nets, significantly reducing habitat destruction, according to the NEA.

Bycatch, Nature and Extent: The extent of marine mammal bycatch in the Atlantic mackerel fishery is unclear. The Seafood Choices Alliance says that bycatch from purse seining and trawling has not been a major issue. The National Marine Fisheries Service notes that while the Atlantic mackerel fishery has minimal interaction with sea turtles, interactions with other marine mammals have been recorded. The Blue Ocean Institute reports that mortalities and injuries of marine mammals in the Atlantic mackerel fishery exceeded 50% of the potential biological removal of the species. Observers reported dolphin mortalities in the fishery between 1977 and 1991, but the Monterey Bay Aquarium cautions that observer coverage in the fishery is low. Mammal bycatch has been declining, in part due to a shift away from bottom otter trawls, but remains a moderate concern, according to a Monterey Bay Aquarium report from 2011. Atlantic mackerel’s midwater trawl fisheries catch nontargeted fish such as river herring, dogfish, and shortfin squid, but the Blue Ocean Institute says the level of this bycatch is small and causes little concern.

Management Effectiveness: Atlantic mackerel stocks in the U.S. collapsed in the late 1970s due to overfishing that began occurring in the late 1960s, but effective management helped them recover to abundant, very healthy levels. According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council currently does not have a bycatch management plan for the Atlantic mackerel fishery but is working on one.

Sustainability Information

	Seafood Watch	SeaChoice	FishWise	Blue Ocean Institute	New England Aquarium	Marine Stewardship Council
Canada Purse Seine	Best Choice	Best Choice	Best Choice	Green
U.S. Trawl	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative	Green	B List
U.S. All Other Fishing Methods				Green	A List
International Atlantic & Europe Wild-caught				Green		Certified*

*MSC-certified Atlantic mackerel fisheries exist in Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands and the U.K..

Rating Explanation

Seafood Watch  and Blue Ocean Institute's ratings are different by geographic and/or fishing method scope. Seafood Watch only evaluates U.S. Atlantic mackerel trawl fisheries. Blue Ocean Institute's assesses all regions and all gear types as one assessment. There are multiple Atlantic mackerel fisheries in Europe are certified as sustainable to the standards of the Marine Stewardship Council.

Buying Tips

• Atlantic mackerel is sold fresh, frozen, smoked or salted whole, in fillets, headed and gutted, and as steaks
• Mackerel flesh is firm, has a high oil content, and a strong savory taste
• Atlantic mackerel is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12
• Although it’s available year-round, some buyers recommend buying Atlantic mackerel in the fall from the trap fisheries off New England because this fish has high oil content after a summer of feeding
• Mackerel are an excellent substitution for other fish with high oil content such as salmon, tuna, or bluefish
• Like tuna, mackerel must be handled properly because lack of ice or refrigeration can lead to a higher risk of scromboid poisoning

Nutrition and Health

Acknowledgements

• Seafood Watch by Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Blue Ocean Institute
• SeaChoice
• Seafood Choices Alliance
• Environmental Defense Fund
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service