New Assessment Confirms Atlantic Mackerel Remains Collapsed
Press Release Date: June 4, 2026
Media contacts: Vaishali Dassani, Oceana Canada, vdassani@oceana.ca, 647-294-3335;
Rose-Marie Ménard, Pilot PMR, rosemarie.menard@pilotpmr.com, +1-579-622-9925
A new Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) assessment confirms Atlantic mackerel remains critically depleted, with recovery still at risk.
The off-year stock assessment, conducted this month following industry claims that this stock was stronger than reported, found only slight improvement since 2024. What has not changed is that the population remains firmly in the critical zone, with a negative near-term outlook for recovery due to unsustainable levels of fishing pressure in the United States and a history of overfishing and mismanagement in Canada. Increasing fishing pressure in Canada now would push rebuilding further out of reach.
Atlantic mackerel is one of only three fully protected forage fish stocks under Canada’s Fisheries Act and are managed under a legally required rebuilding plan designed to rebuild the population from its collapsed state.
The rebuilding plan projects recovery will take between six and 18 years — underscoring both the fragility of the stock and the long timeline required to rebuild it. Because Atlantic mackerel move across borders, rebuilding in Canada is made more difficult by higher catches in the United States, making it even more critical that Canada hold firm on recovery measures at home. Oceana Canada’s latest report, Little Being, Big Foundation: Where Rebuilding Ocean Abundance Begins, highlights the consequences of forage fish mismanagement, including for Atlantic mackerel. As the only forage fish stock in Canada with a defined rebuilding timeline, mackerel has become a key test of whether Canada’s fisheries law will be implemented to rebuild depleted stocks and restore ocean abundance.
Jack Daly, marine scientist at Oceana Canada, issued the following statement in response:
“Too often, fish stocks are reduced to percentages and tonnes. But Atlantic mackerel are more than numbers — they are a keystone species that feeds seabirds, marine mammals and larger fish, and support coastal livelihoods.
This assessment shows that strong protections and science-based decisions can begin to turn the tide. But recovery won’t happen overnight after decades of overfishing and mismanagement.
Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson faces a clear choice and responsibility: follow the rebuilding plan and allow this stock to recover, or risk undoing hard-won progress. Atlantic mackerel has become a test of whether Canada will rebuild depleted fish stocks, or allow them to remain in a collapsed state.”
Oceana Canada is calling on Fisheries Minister Thompson to:
- Review progress of the Atlantic mackerel rebuilding plan alongside the 2026 assessment and reduce fishing pressure to keep recovery on track.
- Maintain the closure of the commercial fishery in 2026 and 2027, as the assessment indicates rebuilding targets cannot be met under any level of fishing.
Rebuilding Atlantic mackerel is a test of Canada’s commitment to sustainable fisheries. The decisions made now will determine whether the stock continues on the path to recovery — or whether another generation inherits a depleted ocean.
Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to ban single-use plastics, end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits and protect our future. Find more information at Oceana.ca.
