Atlantic Mackerel

About the Species

U.S. wild-caught Atlantic mackerel is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Status

• According to the 2018 stock assessment, Atlantic mackerel are overfished, and are subject to overfishing.
• Atlantic mackerel previously had an unknown status, but the 2018 stock assessment indicated the stock has been overfished for nearly a decade.

Protected Status

Appearance

• Atlantic mackerel are iridescent blue green on the back with a silvery white underbelly.
• They have 20 to 30 wavy black bars that run across the top half of their body, and a narrow dark streak that runs below these bars along each side.
• Their body is spindle-shaped, tapering at both ends.
• Their two large dorsal fins are gray or dusky. The pectoral fins are black or dusky at the base, and the tail fin is gray or dusky.
• Their distinctive coloring fades quickly after they die.

Biology

• Atlantic mackerel grow fast, up to 16 ½ inches and 2.2 pounds.
• They can live up to 20 years and are able to reproduce by the time they reach age 2 to 3.
• There are two major spawning groups of Atlantic mackerel in the western Atlantic:
  • The southern group spawns primarily in the Mid-Atlantic Bight from April to May.
  • The northern group spawns in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in June and July.
  • Both groups typically spawn 10 to 30 miles off shore.
• Depending on their size, females can have between 285,000 and almost 2 million eggs. They release their eggs in batches, between five and seven times throughout the spawning season.
• Eggs generally float in the surface water and hatch in 4 to 7 ½ days, depending on water temperature.
• Atlantic mackerel feed heavily on crustaceans such as copepods, krill, and shrimp. They also eat squid, as well as some fish and ascidians (sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders).
• Several species of fish and marine mammals eat Atlantic mackerel.

Where They Live

• Atlantic mackerel are found on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean, including in the Baltic Sea. In the western Atlantic, they’re found from Labrador to North Carolina.

Management

• NOAA Fisheries and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council manage the Atlantic mackerel fishery.
• Managed under the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan:
  • Mackerel are managed in federal waters. There are no state management measures for mackerel.
  • Managed using annual catch limits allocated between the commercial and recreational fisheries.
  • Managers monitor commercial catch on a weekly basis and will close the fisheries if the limits are reached before the fishing season is over.
  • Fishermen must have a permit to harvest Atlantic mackerel.
  • Managers limit the amount of available permits to control harvests.
  • Under a limited access program, permits are issued to qualifying fishermen, dividing fishermen into three tiers based on their past participation in the fishery. This program is designed to reduce the fishing capacity of the mackerel fleet while allowing qualified vessels to continue fishing for mackerel at their historical or recent level of participation.