UK supermarket suspends mackerel sales in 'stand against overfishing'

British supermarket chain Waitrose on Thursday said it was suspending the sale of mackerel to take "a decisive stand against overfishing".

Waitrose said its initiative was aimed at safeguarding "the long-term health and sustainability of our oceans", criticising government quotas as still too high.

Sourcing of fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel "would be suspended by April 29, with tinned mackerel following once current stock was sold", the chain said in a statement, adding that it was the first UK supermarket to take such a step.

Waitrose said British government fishing quotas were higher than recommended by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

According to the international scientific body, the Northeast Atlantic mackerel population has fallen into a danger zone where its reproduction is no longer guaranteed.

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From nearly 13 million tons in 2014, the biomass of spawning-age mackerel has plummeted to less than 3 million tons in 2025.

In December, EU countries agreed a 70 percent reduction in mackerel catches for the first six months of the year, compared to 2025 — slightly less than recommended by scientists.

The UK, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland in the same month concluded a separate agreement.

The accord was criticised by the EU which said it could cause "irreversible" damage to the dwindling North Atlantic mackerel population.

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