The fishing pressure of the mackerel stock in the north-east Atlantic Ocean is currently higher than the precautionary level. This is mainly because international catch agreements are lacking.
Fishing with [purse-seines] and pelagic-trawlspelagic trawl:
Pelagic trawls is a fishing technique whereby a funnel-shaped trawl is pulled through the water column. Because the trawl does not drag over the bottom, there is no bottom disturbance. are relatively selective and therefore little bycatchBycatch:
Species caught next to species targeted for fishery. By-catches can consist of non-commercial species and species that are too small, and can be kept (this part is sometimes called by-product) or thrown back into the sea (discards). occurs. However, these fishing methodes have a larger impact on the ecosystem than when fishing with handlines. The seabed is not damaged.
The mackerel fishery is managed by size limits, catch-limits and (in the North Sea) closed fishing seasons. Discards and discarding less valuable fish (slipping and high-grading) are regulated with the European Union discard ban. Since 2010, there have been no international catch agreements for Atlantic mackerel in this area. This has resulted in high levels of fishing pressureFishing pressure:
Fishing pressure is a result of the fishing effort/amount of fishing on a stock, which determines the fishing mortality. Fishing mortality is the share of the fish stock that dies annually as a result of fishing..
Fish in season
Fish is in season when the spawning period has ended, as the quality is then at its best.