Higher quotas to further fuel mackerel’s declining retail price trend

The prices paid for fresh mackerel in both U.K. and Irish retail have fallen this year despite higher first-sale prices and decreased landings. With a significantly larger total allowable catch (TAC) for northeast Atlantic mackerel now agreed by member states for 2017, consumers in these markets can expect even cheaper fish in the future.

Among EU member states, the retail price of fresh mackerel is highest in the United Kingdom. This has been the case for the last three years. However, in the …