The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has downgraded mackerel from a sustainable seafood choice to a cautionary amber rating, urging consumers to switch to herring or Cornish sardines instead. 

“It’s a wake-up call,” said Alice Moore, manager of the Good Fish Guide at MCS. “Mackerel is under relentless pressure, much like we’ve seen with sharks and other heavily fished species. Countries like Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the UK are catching far beyond what science advises—23% over sustainable levels on average over the last four years. We’re nearing a breaking point where mackerel stocks may no longer sustain themselves.”

Fisheries ignore scientific limits

This isn’t a new story for fisheries. Sharks, prized for their fins and meat, have faced similar overexploitation, with global populations plummeting due to catches exceeding scientific limits. Mackerel’s plight echoes this pattern: total allowable catches (TACs) set by fishing nations have overshot recommendations by 5% to 80% since 2009, averaging a staggering 39% above advice from 2020 to 2024. 

Moore emphasized the need for urgent action. “The UK government must lead the charge to align international catch limits with science,” she said. “We’ve seen fisheries push species like sharks to the brink—mackerel could be next if we don’t act.”

Alternatives exist

On a brighter note, the Good Fish Guide offers alternatives. North Sea and eastern Channel herring earned a green rating, as have Cornish sardines. Monkfish from the North Sea also climbed from amber to green, while blue marlin shed its red-list status. 

The MCS’s Good Fish Guide, released annually, ranks seafood based on overfishing levels using a traffic-light system: green for sustainable, amber for concern, and red for “avoid.” North-east Atlantic mackerel, once a poster child for sustainable fishing, has taken a hit, sliding from a rating of 3 to 4 for midwater trawl-caught fish—prompting recommendations that restaurants and supermarkets pull it from their menus. Hook-and-line-caught mackerel has also slipped from a 2 to a 3, signalling growing strain.

Consumers should check before buying

The MCS advises businesses to stock only seafood rated 1 to 3 and encourages consumers to check the guide’s ratings before buying. With mackerel’s decline mirroring the fate of overfished sharks and other species, the message is clear: without swift intervention, a once-abundant fish could vanish from plates for good.