Mackerel, the Ongoing Saga.

While the UK and Ireland sea angling world continues its disproportionate love affair with bass, a very real and present threat to the balance of our marine ecosystem is being played out on the high seas of the North East Atlantic and within the halls of European Government in Brussels.

Officially another 300,000 tonnes of mackerel over and above the agreed quota tonnage for the north east Atlantic mackerel stock was removed in 2011, with arguably the same amount if not more taken out in 2012.

Personal experience this year and word of mouth from anglers that I know of tells a story of Joey mackerel predominating when they were located inshore this season, and mackerel numbers around Ireland's coastline throughout 2012 overall would appear way way down.

The breeding stock biomass for north east Atlantic mackerel according to ICES figures is set at 2.2 million tonnes, the actual stock in 2011 was assessed at close to 3 million tonnes.

The EU/Norway axis takes out 500.000 tonne per year on average (which is the sustainable catch according to ICES), the Iceland/Faroe axis due to the current Mexican stand off removes a further 300.000 tonne, add on discards, fish lost through gear failure, and general mortalities as a result of fishing effort and one has a potential major environmental problem unless sanity and not political posturing prevails.

The preponderance of joeys is a clue that the overall mackerel stock age profile is getting younger, suggesting as it does fewer mature adults. By logic future recruitment may well be affected which combined with present levels of exploitation will most certainly have a detrimental effect on the total stock.

Ironically both the Icelanders and Faroe Islanders have an equal right to fish for north east Atlantic mackerel as does the EU/Norwegian axis, the real bone of contention being how one carves it up.

Sea Angling Ireland should really pick up on this serious threat and voice both its disapproval at the current stand off while offering clear and workable solutions. The problems associated with Ireland's bass fishery are in the halfpenny place compared to what may happen if the north east mackerel fishery collapses.

Regards.........

Hi Ashley,

Iv thanked you for the message but was thinking afterwards what you were saying and is very true about the joey mackeral,all reports here in Galway was that is all that was being caught ,i used to be in the N S and have seening how mackeral are caught first hand once the nets are shot all they do is drop a big suction pipe in and hoover the lot up and the nets are re-shot from astern.

John A

Ash

I understand you passion and concern - but it is only 'human' differences that may make preferences disproportional -

Both species are proportionally threatened by the same industry.