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March 4, 2026

Oceana UK urges supermarkets to take mackerel off the shelves amid overfishing crisis

Following the news that Waitrose has stepped up in the fight to safeguard UK seas by suspending its sales of mackerel from the end of April, Oceana UK has sent a letter to UK supermarket retailers (including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Coop, Lidl, M&S, Aldi and Asda) urging them to follow suit. Scientists now urge a 70% cut in mackerel catch, a clear warning that we are risking the total collapse of this population if we continue to overfish. Read the full letter below.

Dear Retail Leaders, 

Last week, Waitrose became the first major retailer to remove mackerel from its shelves due to overfishing. Stocks of this much-loved and once abundant fish have fallen 77% in 10 years, yet the UK and other countries still cannot agree to fish in line with scientific advice.

Where one retailer leads, others must follow. Together, you can signify that enough is enough when it comes to allowing our seas to be emptied of fish. Countries are meeting this week once again to discuss the amount of mackerel that can be caught - will you also commit to removing mackerel from your supply chains until such time as governments actually follow the science?

Mackerel is the poster child of overfishing, but far from the only species at risk. One in four stocks in UK waters are overfished, decimating not just fish populations but entire ecosystems and coastal livelihoods.

Until the UK Government puts in place a deadline in law to end overfishing and a strategy to deliver it, we will never break the endless cycle that is emptying our seas and potentially your shelves. With your sourcing power and direct connection to consumers, you are uniquely placed to demand this change – please use your voice to press the Government to act.

Yours sincerely,

Hugo Tagholm
Executive Director,
Oceana UK