U.K. retailer Waitrose has decided to suspend its sourcing of mackerel from the Northeast Atlantic, the latest move in an ongoing push to get coastal nations to follow fishing guidance that aligns with scientific advice.
On 26 February, the U.K. retailer said it can no longer source mackerel from the fishery as it doesn’t meet the company’s responsible sourcing requirements. The company said it has plans to promote other species as replacements for mackerel but that it cannot predict when it will source mackerel again.
“Sourcing of fresh, chilled, and frozen mackerel will be suspended by 29 April 2026. Remaining tinned mackerel stock will be available until it has sold through,” Waitrose said.
Northeast Atlantic mackerel has been overfished for multiple years.
The fishery lost its Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification in 2019 and has continued to be the subject of overfishing by coastal states. Norway, the E.U., the U.K., Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland have repeatedly agreed to set the collective total allowable catch (TAC) for the species in line with International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) advice and then have gone on to fail at dividing that total up equitably, resulting in overfishing.
In 2025, ICES recommended a massive 70 percent cut in the TAC for the species, suggesting the total quota drop to 174,357 metric tons and setting up tense negotiations for access to fishing. The U.K., Norway, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland reached a deal on the mackerel fishing season in December but left out the E.U. and still set the TAC at a much higher 299,010 MT, or over 100,000 MT above ICES advice.
Waitrose Head of Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Fisheries Jake Pickering said the company’s suspension of mackerel reinforces the company’s ethical and sustainable business commitments in light of the continued problems the mackerel stock has had.
“Our customers trust us to source responsibly, and we are closely monitoring the fishery. We look forward to bringing mackerel back to our shelves once it meets our high sourcing standards,” he said.
The company said it plans to maintain its longstanding relationships with mackerel suppliers and will work to support the U.K.’s coastal communities through other species.
“Its new supply of herring, seabass, sardines, and trout will continue to be sourced through current supplier partnerships,” the company said.
Waitrose is the first company to follow through on a commitment to stop sourcing pelagic species from overfished Northeast Atlantic stocks. Multiple members of the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA), which includes over 50 members from retail, aquaculture, and fishing companies – including Waitrose – have said they will stop buying any Northeast pelagic species if countries can’t get fishing in line with scientific advice.
“Our partners – from processors to distributors to retailers – are absolutely committed to seeing Northeast Atlantic mackerel return to its previous healthy state, and we will leave no stone unturned in our search for solutions. But, we can’t wait forever,” NAPA Independent Chair Aoife Martin said soon after the ICES advice for 2026 was published. “If coastal states don’t deliver a comprehensive catch sharing agreement in the next six months, many of our partners will be faced with difficult decisions about where they source product from.”
