UK supermarkets replace true mackerel with cheaper Chilean jack mackerel

Canned mackerel sold by Tesco, Sainsbury’s and other UK supermarkets no longer contains Atlantic mackerel; the supplier Princes now packs Chilean jack mackerel, a different fish with about 100 fewer calories per 100 g and roughly half the omega-3 content. Shoppers have complained of bigger bones and a metallic smell. The switch reflects a Europe-wide response to severe overfishing, with ICES reporting a three-quarter decline in mackerel stocks over ten years and scientists urging a 70 % cut in catches.

While some retailers, such as Lidl, continue to label the product as “mackerel,” they say they will review sourcing policies before the next purchasing window. Conservationists warn that existing management measures are poorly enforced, and industry figures note that Chilean jack mackerel costs about one-third of Atlantic mackerel, yet prices remain similar.