Waitrose pulls fish from UK stores due to new rule - started in April

Supermarket giant Waitrose pulled one popular fish from all of its UK stores following concerns for the future of the fishing industry.

The supermarket will no longer sell mackerel and was due to remove the fish from its shelves from April 29 following concerns about overfishing.

The retailer says it is the first UK supermarket to suspend sales of mackerel, which it gets from Scottish waters, with sourcing of fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel ending on April 29 and tinned mackerel following once stock had sold out.

The change comes in the wake of failures by Governments to cut mackerel catches to levels recommended by scientists to ensure sustainable fishing and stop mackerel stocks collapsing.

Conservationists welcomed Waitrose’s move to take mackerel off its shelves, and urged other supermarkets to follow suit.

It comes as the Marine Conservation Charity issued a warning about cod levels in April urging shoppers to stop buying cod due to concerns for the future of cod populations.

Overfishing has resulted in depleting mackerel stocks in the north-east Atlantic, with the ICES Journal of Marine Science saying the species, and the wider fishing industry, could face long-term risks unless countries stick to recommended catch limits

Waitrose said that the decision in December by the UK, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland to cut mackerel catches by 48% was a step forward but still did not meet recommendations.

North-east Atlantic mackerel will no longer meet the supermarket’s responsible sourcing requirements in line with the Sustainable Seafood Coalition codes of conduct, the retailer said.

Jake Pickering, head of agriculture, aquaculture and 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.”

As alternatives, Waitrose is launching a new range of fish products, including hot smoked herring, hot smoked peppered herring and hot smoked sweetcure seabass, all of which are Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified.

The retailer said it would also introduce MSC-certified frozen sardines from May as a sustainable replacement for frozen mackerel, and plans to become the first retailer to sell 100% MSC tinned sardines.

Waitrose said it would maintain its relationship with its mackerel suppliers, and its new supply of herring, seabass, sardines and trout will be sourced through current supplier partnerships.

But there is currently no predetermined time frame for when Waitrose will start sourcing mackerel again.

Marija Rompani, director of ethics and sustainability at the John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, said: “We believe sustainable food production must balance climate action, nature protection and responsible fish sourcing is fundamental to protecting our oceans.

“We will continue to work closely with suppliers and industry partners to support the recovery and responsible management of fish stocks.”

Charles Clover, co-founder of conservation charity Blue Marine Foundation, said mackerel – one of the largest remaining commercial fish stocks in the north-east Atlantic – had declined 75% in the last 10 years because fishing nations including the UK had overfished it.

“They have put too little effort into the task of reaching agreement on a sharing arrangement – and some countries have been awarding themselves more quota than is justified by science,” he said.

“This crisis has been ignored for too long.

“We hope that this action by Waitrose sends it to the top of the political agenda. We call on other retailers to follow Waitrose’s example.”