Waitrose has become the first UK supermarket to suspend mackerel sourcing over concerns about overfishing.

In September 2025, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), recommended that North-east Atlantic mackerel catches should be cut by 70% to help rebuild the stock to a sustainable level.

In December, four of the Coastal States agreed to cut mackerel catches by 48%. While this is a step forward, it does not meet ICES advice. From May 2026, North East Atlantic mackerel will no longer meet Waitrose’s responsible sourcing requirements in line with the Sustainable Seafood Coalition’s (SSC) codes of conduct. All Waitrose North East Atlantic mackerel is sourced from Scottish waters.

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.

Speaking at the Waitrose Food System Transformed Conference on the 26 February, Jake Pickering, head of agriculture, aquaculture & fisheries at Waitrose, said: “By suspending sourcing of mackerel at Waitrose we are reinforcing our ethical and sustainable business commitments, acting to tackle overfishing and protect the long-term health of our oceans and this crucial fish. 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.”

Waitrose is launching a new range of smoked fish from April to offer customers alternatives – including Hot Smoked Herring, Hot Smoked Peppered Herring and Hot Smoked Sweetcure Seabass. Waitrose will also introduce frozen sardines in May as a certified sustainable replacement for frozen mackerel, offering similar rich flavour and nutritional benefits. 

The retailer says it will maintain its long-standing relationship with its mackerel suppliers, but at present has no predetermined time-frame as to when it will start sourcing mackerel again.

From February onwards, Waitrose customers will begin to see the new blue MSC eco-label across all tins of sardines, signalling, the retailer says, “an ongoing effort to provide ever-more sustainable and responsibly sourced seafood for customer”. 

Man image: Courtesy, Waitrose