Mackerel
We harvest jack mackerel off the coast of Chile. This fishery was once overfished but 10 countries cooperated and stocks recovered to healthy levels.
Introduction
We source Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus Murphyi), harvested off the coast of Chile. These small but mighty fish can be a healthy addition to your diet: each can contains 750 milligrams of omega-3s and more than 21 grams of protein (41% to 44% of the daily value) and is an excellent source of vitamin B-12, selenium, vitamin E and Niacin (see nutrition information for total fat, saturated fat and sodium content).
Chilean jack mackerel are low on the food chain, feeding on small crustaceans and fish larvae, so they don’t accumulate toxins the way that higher-level apex predators can over the course of their longer lives. Because toxins are passed up the food chain, they become more concentrated in predator fish, making smaller fish, like mackerel, an alternative to consider.
A Story of Positive Change
Our jack mackerel is harvested off the coast of Chile by purse-seines, which help to minimize bycatch. This fishery was once overfished and exploited, and in the early 2000s, population levels became dangerously low. This was not only bad for ocean and ecosystem health but also for the coastal communities that depended on the fishery for income. Because jack mackerel are migratory fish that swim across boundaries, solving this issue required international cooperation. Ten countries eventually landed on an agreement to limit fishing for eight years by drastically reducing the catch, and by removing trawlers altogether. Due to this cooperation and perseverance, jack mackerel stocks recovered to healthy levels in 2019.
Jack mackerel is often used as fishmeal—food for farmed fish. We’re proud to help drive demand for this fish for human consumption instead, which lowers our environmental impact. It’s why we often say, “Eat the bait!”
Small Fish, Big Impact
Eating mackerel takes pressure off larger, overfished species like tuna. This allows the less abundant fish stocks to recover.
“Forage fish—such as mackerel, sardines and anchovies—are low in the food chain,” says Tatiana Lodder, Seafood Assessor for Good Fish Foundation, an organization dedicated to fish conservation. “There’s a lot of biomass and they’re much more resilient than the larger, higher trophic species.” The Good Fish Foundation carefully assesses our mackerel stock to ensure there’s plenty left—for us and for other species that depend on them for food.
Guided by Science
When the scientists and crew of the Good Fish take a day off, they head to the beach. We work with Good Fish Foundation, in the Netherlands, to ensure jack mackerel remain a truly renewable resource, so we’ll have fish in the future.
As one of the few food companies that works in direct partnership with fish conservation and science organizations, our goal is to find solutions that protect, rather than deplete, our home planet. Good Fish evaluates the sustainability of fisheries in Europe and works with fishermen, fish farmers, processors and retailers to help seafood buyers make environmentally sound decisions about what to eat. The group also publishes a sustainable seafood guide for consumers and advises chefs.
