Dutch supermarkets have begun removing endangered Atlantic mackerel from their shelves, with remaining stock still on sale but Lidl set to phase the product out next month and Jumbo expecting to be sold out around the turn of the year.
Albert Heijn has not set an end date but confirmed that the species is disappearing from its shelves. ALDI declined to say whether it will stop selling the fish. Stores are seeking alternatives.
Retail responses and alternatives
Lidl is switching to Chilean horse mackerel. Jumbo and Albert Heijn said they are experimenting with other sustainable options.
Conservation status and scientific advice
The mackerel species was put in the red by sustainability indicator Viswijzer this spring, indicating the species is severely overfished or caught using harmful methods. “The advice to consumers is not to buy or eat the fish,” Viswijzer said.
The latest advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea shows mackerel stocks in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean are in serious decline. ICES said that for years more fish have been caught than scientists consider responsible and that only with severe catch limits can the species recover.
Researchers said the supermarket removals are necessary to reduce pressure on the stock.
