What is jack mackerel? The tinned fish sparking outrage in the UK
- Major UK supermarkets and supplier Princes are replacing Atlantic mackerel with Chilean jack mackerel in tinned products due to severe overfishing in the north-east Atlantic.
- The replacement South American species offers lower nutritional value, containing roughly half as much omega-3 and 100 fewer calories per 100g than true mackerel.
- Data from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea shows Atlantic mackerel stocks have plunged by three-quarters over the last decade as quotas routinely exceeded scientific guidance.
- Consumers have reported issues such as larger bones and a metallic smell, while industry experts have criticised importing fish from South America instead of eating locally caught species.
- Despite wholesale Chilean jack mackerel costing around one-third of Atlantic mackerel, several supermarkets are selling the tins at similar prices.
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