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

Sourcing of fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel to be suspended by 29 April 2026, with tinned mackerel following once the current stock has sold through.

Speaking at the Waitrose Food System Transformed Conference on 26 February, 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.”

Waitrose is launching a new range of smoked fish from April to offer customers alternatives and will also introduce frozen sardines in May as a certified sustainable replacement for frozen mackerel.

Waitrose will maintain its long-standing relationship with its mackerel suppliers and its new supply of herring, seabass, sardines and trout will continue to be sourced through current supplier partnerships. At present, there is no predetermined time-frame as to when Waitrose will start sourcing mackerel again.

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

---