'Skimpflation' warning as tinned mackerel alternative hits more supermarket shelves

Skimpflation warning as tinned mackerel alternative hits more supermarket shelves Despite its name, jack mackerel is not a true mackerel. It belongs to the Carangidae family, whereas the Atlantic mackerel familiar to UK consumers is a member of the Scombridae family. Under UK law that remained in force until December 2025, fish classified as Carangidae could be marketed only under the names “jack”, “scad”, “trevally” or “horse mackerel”. Soon after Princes launched a new product labelled “jack mackerel”, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs amended its regulations to permit that labelling. Industry data shared by the seafood‑market analysis service Undercurrent indicate that wholesale Chilean jack mackerel typically costs about one‑third of the price of Atlantic mackerel. The regulatory change follows the long‑running dispute dubbed the “mackerel war”, which has involved the UK, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, the European Union and Russia over shared mackerel quota allocations. Participants in the negotiations have repeatedly failed to agree on a unified approach for sharing the stock and setting catch limits that align with scientific advice. According to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), mackerel landings in the north‑east Atlantic have exceeded scientifically recommended levels by an average of 39 % over the past 15 years. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) reports that the stock has declined by roughly three‑quarters during the last decade. In response, the intergovernmental body overseeing the fishery has advised cutting the 2026 north‑east Atlantic mackerel catch by about 70 % to allow the population a chance to rebound. Last year the Marine Conservation Society warned that the Atlantic mackerel population had reached a “breaking point”. The severe depletion has caused Atlantic mackerel to lose its MSC certification, meaning it no longer satisfies the sustainability criteria of many retailers. By contrast, Chilean jack mackerel retains MSC certification. In February Waitrose announced it would suspend sales of fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel owing to overfishing concerns, adding that tinned lines would be phased out as existing inventory is sold. The Marine Conservation Society praised the move as “leading and decisive”. The shift toward jack mackerel is already evident outside the UK. Supermarkets in the Netherlands have stopped stocking Atlantic mackerel, and at least one retailer in Sweden has begun offering jack mackerel instead.