Waitrose to suspend selling mackerel: Waitrose has become the first major UK supermarket to suspend sales of mackerel due to declining stocks in the north-east Atlantic. From 29 April, the retailer will stop selling fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel, while tinned mackerel sales will continue until existing stocks run out. In its place, customers will be steered towards alternatives such as herring, sardines and sea bass. The decision follows warnings from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), which last year downgraded mackerel on its five-point Good Fish Guide
sustainability scale after concluding that stocks were close to breaking point. Scientific advice has grown increasingly stark. In September, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea recommended a 70 per cent cut in mackerel fishing in the region to allow the population to recover after years of overexploitation. Yet in December, the UK and other coastal states agreed to reduce catches by only 48 per cent. Campaigners warn the gap has consequences. Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK, described the situation as a “clear warning” that the population – and other marine wildlife affected by intensive fishing – is under severe strain. Responsibility, he argued, rests ultimately with governments that set catch limits. Research from the University of East Anglia has urged supermarkets to diversify the fish on offer, promoting locally caught and more resilient species such as herring and sardines. Marija Rompani, director of ethics and sustainability at the John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, said responsible sourcing was essential to protecting ocean ecosystems. A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said ministers were working with international partners to reduce pressure on stocks while safeguarding fishing jobs. Click here to read more on this story. Shortly after this news broke, a Scottish fishing organisation criticised Waitrose’s decision. The Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group (SPSG), which represents both Scottish fishermen and the wider fish processing industry, called the move “extremely disappointing.” Ian Gatt from the SPSG, told the Telegraph that Waitrose was “unfairly penalising” fishermen, who had been at the “forefront” of trying to fish responsibly. Robert Duthie, also from the SPSG, told the same newspaper that Waitrose’s move would impact Scottish communities, saying: “The Scottish mackerel fishery is particularly important to onshore employment in our coastal communities … the decision by Waitrose to withdraw mackerel is extremely disappointing and fails to recognise the significant work and leadership the UK government has demonstrated in making genuine progress to resolve the complex issues among coastal states making a claim to the fishery.” Read more on this story here.
Could tilapia replace cod in UK fish and chip shops?: A BBC News article this month looked at fish and chip shops in Cambridgeshire, which were looking at species such as tilapia to replace traditional species such as cod and haddock. According to the National Federation of Fish Friers, reduced cod quotas in the Barents Sea have created fresh strain in the supply chain, pushing up costs for retailers and customers alike. The federation says many fryers are now broadening their menus and urging diners to be a little more adventurous. Miguel Costa, who runs the Riverside fish and chip shop in March, Cambridgeshire, began trialling tilapia three months ago. The response, he says, has been overwhelmingly positive. “Customers were cautious at first – they thought it was too good to be true,” he said. “I told them if you try it and don’t like it, I’ll refund you.” So far, he has not had to return a penny. The difference in price is stark. A large tilapia at his shop costs £5, compared with £9.40 for a large cod. Originally from Portugal, Costa believes British customers are ready to embrace change. Tilapia, widely farmed in Africa and Asia, is mild, flaky and considerably cheaper wholesale than North Atlantic cod. In nearby Chatteris, Mark Petrou of the award-winning Petrou Brothers fish and chip shop chain, agrees that alternatives are gaining ground. Hake, pollock and saithe, he argues, are poised to challenge cod’s supremacy. “People forget that cod wasn’t always the default,” he said, noting that dab was once the staple of early fish suppers some 160 years ago. “We’ve enjoyed cod perhaps too much.” Andrew Crook, president of the federation, said species such as hake and pollock offer excellent flavour and are often underused, making them more affordable. Tilapia and pangasius, he added, are also proving popular additions. Read more by clicking here.
Tens of millions of salmon deaths recorded in Scottish salmon farms: Scottish salmon farms recorded more than 35 million “unexpected” fish deaths in less than three years, despite ministers insisting the industry is subject to rigorous oversight. Official figures show that between January 2023 and October 2025, 35,867,788 salmon deaths were reported. Yet over much the same period, inspectors carried out only two unannounced visits. In December, Scotland’s rural affairs secretary, Mairi Gougeon, described Scotland’s regime for regulating fin-fish aquaculture as “really robust”. However, data obtained by Animal Equality UK under freedom of information laws reveal that the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), responsible for enforcing welfare legislation, inspected just twenty-one of Scotland’s 213 active salmon farms between January 2023 and October 2025. None of the twenty sites with the highest mortality rates – accounting for more than 10 million deaths – was inspected. Although the Scottish government states that unannounced inspections are a statutory requirement, only two took place between January 2023 and September 2025. Since 2022, APHA has received twenty-two welfare complaints but has issued no formal warnings or referred any cases to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Animal Equality UK argues the true mortality figure is likely higher, as culled fish, early sea deaths and so-called cleaner-fish (which eat parasites off salmon) are excluded. The Scottish parliament’s rural affairs committee is due to question industry executives later this month, having previously criticised ministers for “slow progress” in tightening regulation. Industry representatives maintain Scottish producers operate to world-leading welfare standards. Read more here.
Scottish fishing industry warns of returning to EU regulations: Scotland’s fishing leaders have warned that a proposed new trade agreement with the European Union could erode post-Brexit powers over the management of UK waters. The intervention follows growing unease within the industry over the UK-EU fisheries settlement, which allows European vessels to continue accessing British waters until 2038. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) has written to the EU relations minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, seeking assurances that a planned Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement will not extend into fisheries governance. The SPS deal is intended to reduce barriers in the trade of food, animal and plant products by aligning UK standards more closely with those of the EU. Ministers argue it would remove the need for most export health certificates, veterinary inspections and border checks, cutting costs for exporters of products such as meat, dairy and seafood. But Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the SFF, said recent ministerial comments had heightened fears that the agreement could reach beyond food safety into wider “technical barriers to trade”, potentially constraining the UK’s regulatory freedom. “One of the key benefits of Brexit for the fishing sector has been the ability to manage and conserve our own waters,” she said. “This autonomy must not be compromised through sectoral alignment or broader trade negotiations.” Discontent remains acute over last year’s fisheries deal, under which EU fleets will retain access to UK waters for a further twelve years. The industry body has described the accompanying £360 million UK Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund as “limited compensation”, arguing that European vessels could land fish worth around £6 billion over the period. The federation has also criticised the allocation of funds via the Barnett formula, which would leave Scotland – home to the majority of the UK fleet – with a comparatively small share. Fishing leaders are now calling for explicit guarantees that the UK will remain outside the Common Fisheries Policy. A UK government spokesperson insisted that Britain “sets its own rules” and would continue to do so, while pressing ahead with an SPS deal it says could boost the economy by cutting red tape and easing access to the UK’s largest export market. Read more on the Scotsman website here.
‘Fish disco’ plan to save fish from nuclear power station: A £50 million underwater acoustic system designed to prevent fish being drawn into the cooling pipes of the Hinkley Point C power station has performed “really well” in trials. This has led to hopes that controversial plans to flood hundreds of acres of farmland could now be abandoned. The new nuclear power station, which is nder construction near Bridgwater in Somerset, will require vast quantities of seawater to cool its reactors. Two tunnels, stretching 1.8 miles beneath the Severn Estuary, will channel 120,000 litres of water per second into the plant, according to the BBC. Engineers, however, are working to prevent fish and other marine life from being swept in with the coolant water. The estuary supports large populations of sprats and salmon, as well as the protected twaite shad, which migrate to spawn in tributaries of the River Severn. While older power stations relied on metal grilles that killed trapped fish, Hinkley has adopted a more elaborate approach. Wider intake heads slow the flow of water, and a network of seabed speakers – dubbed the “underwater fish disco” – emits sound frequencies intended to deter fish from approaching. Designed by the conservation-focused engineering company Fishtek Marine and tested by Swansea University, the system reduced the number of tagged twaite shad approaching the intake heads from fourteen to one during trials. Chris Fayers, Hinkley’s head of environment, said the speakers, lowered to the seabed “like a lobster pot”, could be retrieved annually without the need for divers. The success of the trial could spare 900 acres of farmland in Gloucestershire that had been earmarked for conversion into saltmarsh as environmental compensation. Read more by clicking here.
High squid levels in Shetland water lead to calls for higher catches: Record numbers of squid in Shetland’s waters have prompted calls from the fishing industry to accelerate plans for a squid fishery. The latest Shetland Inshore Fish Survey 2025, published by UHI Shetland, found that squid catch rates in shallow waters were the highest recorded in the survey’s fifteen-year history. Dr Shaun Fraser, the report’s lead author, said the 2025 results surpassed even the elevated levels seen in recent years, suggesting there was “strong scientific merit” in trialling a limited reopening of the squid fishery. Targeted inshore squid fishing has effectively been on hold since 2021, after the introduction of the National Cod Avoidance Plan. Designed to protect cod stocks, the rules prevent vessels from using nets with a mesh size smaller than 120mm – the type typically required to catch squid – creating an unintended barrier to the fishery. Fraser told the BBC that last year’s “particularly warm” sea temperatures may have contributed to the surge in squid numbers, raising the possibility that climate change is reshaping local marine ecosystems. The Shetland Fishermen’s Association has seized on the findings, describing a pilot scheme as a practical opportunity for diversification. Its executive officer, Sheila Keith, said ministers now had a clear chance to demonstrate support for the sector. The Scottish government confirmed that preparatory work on a trial is underway, with efforts focused on defining its scope and identifying participating vessels. Ministers said the scheme would gather robust data to balance sustainability with economic benefit. Read more here.
Alien-like sea slugs found in Devon rock pools: An unusual species of sea slug has been found by a father and son on a Devon Beach. Named only as Charley and Chris, the pair found a depilatory sea hare (which has the scientific name Aplysia depilans) on Mount Batten Beach, initially mistaking it as seaweed. Usually found in the warmer water of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, depilatory sea hares can grow to around 40 centimetres (16 inches) in length. The discovery was made as part of an organised rock pool exploring session, where a second specimen was later discovered. Recent stormy weather and increased wave sizes may have been responsible for the sea hares being found in the rockpools. Read more by clicking here.