North East Atlantic mackerel pelagic trawl, purse-seine and handline
MSC status
Certified as sustainable on the 30th April 2009.
The Conformity Assessment Body, DNV, has suspended the MSC certification of the North East Atlantic mackerel pelagic trawl, purse-seine and handline fishery, effective from, 30 March 2012. Fish caught after 30 March 2012 cannot be described or sold as MSC certified or carry the MSC ecolabel; however, fish caught before this date may still bear the MSC ecolabel provided it complies with MSC Chain of Custody requirements for traceability and separation. The fishery now has up to 90 days to work with DNV to put in place a plan to introduce corrective measures. If the certification body approves the action plan, the fishery will remain suspended while the corrective measures are being implemented. Failure to put a suitable plan in place will result in the fishery having its certificate withdrawn at the end of the 90 days (i.e. until 29 June 2012).
Please refer to the assessment downloads section for further information.
Summary
Species: Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)
Location: ICES areas II, III, IV, V, VI, VII
Fishing methods: Offshore purse-seiners, midwater trawlers and some smaller coastal vessels operating purse seines and handlines.
Vessels: In 2007, according to Norges Sildesalgslag figures, there were 107 offshore purse seiners, 32 licensed trawlers, 189 small coastal purse seine vessels and 269 coastal hook and line vessels fishing for NEA mackerel.
Number of fisheries: 1
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More about mackerel
Mackerel is a pelagic fish spending most of its time in mid-water travelling in large dense, shoals, often at great speed and making very long migrations. It is a voracious, opportunistic feeder and feeds mainly on zooplankton, but also on some small pelagic fish. As a result it is a very oily fish, building up high energy reserves during the spring and summer which it needs both for migration and subsequent gonad development during the following winter.
More about the fishing methods
On average about 77% of the Northeast Atlantic mackerel catch originates from purse seiners, 3% from pelagic trawlers, 11% from coastal purse seiners and 9% from coastal handline vessels.
Both small coastal vessels and larger offshore vessels operate purse seine gears. Offshore purse seiners are generally between 36m and 94m, with a smaller group of vessels (18) around 27m. In addition, the 189 coastal purse seine vessels are between 15 and 27m.
Pelagic trawl vessels operate offshore. These vessels are currently between 30 and 68m in length.
Fishery tonnage
131,965 tonnes
Commercial market
The mackerel landed in Norway is almost exclusively exported. The main market for mackerel some years ago was Japan and China, but during the two last years there has been a large increase in exports to Russia and Ukraine.
