Marine / Mackerel must be ‘fished sustainably’ says fishermen’s association
MACKEREL has been downgraded as a sustainable option for shoppers after overfishing in the northeast atlantic, a major food guide has said.
Businesses have been recommended not to source mackerel caught by trawler by the Good Fish Guide, which is compiled every year by Marine Conservation Society (MCS).
It has advised people to buy herring as a sustainable alternative.
Shetland Fishermen’s Association executive officer Sheila Keith admitted mackerel stocks are “under pressure”.
However she said there had been “signs of improvement” and that it was “essential to consider the broader context”.
“Essentially there is a need for all coastal states to sign up to a collective sharing arrangement, so that they can be held to account, and ensure mackerel is fished sustainably,” she told Shetland News.
“The UK, Norway and Faroe have reached such an agreement, but Iceland, EU and Greenland are yet to come to the table.
“The Shetland and wider Scottish pelagic industry continue to advocate for responsible management measures, including international cooperation to ensure sustainable harvesting practices.
“Shetland’s fishermen operate within strict regulatory frameworks and adhere to quotas designed to protect fish stocks for future generations.
“We support efforts to align catch limits with scientific advice and encourage all fishing nations to work together to secure the long-term sustainability of mackerel fisheries.” Good Fish Guide manager Alice Moore said it was “deeply concerning” that overfishing of mackerel had led to stocks being in “such decline”.
“Mackerel is under immense pressure from fishing activities across multiple nations, and the stock will soon be no longer able to sustain itself,” she added.
The Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, however, strongly criticised the MCS for downgrading the rating for mackerel.
Chief executive Ian Gatt said the MCS “has a reputation for headline-grabbing when it comes to its fish guide”.
“Last year it was brown crab they focused on and the year before it was anglerfish, and it was perhaps inevitable they would turn their focus onto mackerel next,” he said.
Gatt admitted there was “overfishing happening”, but said this was because of “other coasting states fishing their own unilaterally set quotas outside international agreement.”
“The fact is the UK has kept its original mackerel share and not increased it, and has been working hard to mitigate fishing pressure, including through recent agreements with Norway and the Faroes,” he said.
“MCS have only considered fishing pressure and not the actual state of the stock, with north-east Atlantic mackerel currently above the maximum sustainable yield reference point for sustainable fishing.
“In other words, the stock size is relatively healthy.”
Gatt said the MCS should have waited for a major assessment revision of northeast mackerel stocks before making “rash and ill-informed assessments”.
“We told MCS that this would be the sensible course to adopt for both stocks, which bizarrely they have accepted for Irish Sea herring by not downgrading it, but have not done the same for mackerel – which underlines this is more to do with generating headlines than for any other reason.”
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