Mackerel
In the Bay of Biscay, off Cantabria, in Northern Spain, a family-owned hook-and-line boat heads out for caballa (Atlantic mackerel). Photo by Amy Kumler
This small, schooling fish has the satisfying, meaty texture and mild flavor typical of big fish, along with a mighty list of nutrients. Eating Atlantic mackerel is a more sustainable choice too, since they’re abundant and low on the ocean food chain. Ours are from a well-managed fishery in northern Spain, using hook and line, with little to no bycatch.
Nutrition: Small but Mighty
Freshly caught Atlantic mackerel. Cantabria, Spain. Photo by Amy Kumler
Atlantic mackerel is packed with vital nutrients. Unlike larger fish such as tuna and swordfish, they don’t have the high levels of toxins often found in these predators.
Each can of our Atlantic mackerel contains around 20 grams of protein (40 to 42% of the daily value) and is an excellent source of vitamin B-12, selenium, vitamin E and niacin. It also has 500 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per serving, thought to benefit hearth health. Atlantic mackerel are low on the food chain, feeding on zooplankton, so they don’t accumulate toxins in the way that higher-level apex predators can over the course of their longer lives. Because toxins are passed up the food chain, they become more concentrated as animals eat and then are eaten in turn.
Smoked Mackerel, with juices running down into the bread’s nooks and crannies. Photo by Amy Kumler
Show More +
Sourcing: A Delicacy from Spain
Out on the Bay of Biscay, César Zambrano untangles the mackerel line. Photo by Amy Kumler
Our Atlantic mackerel comes from the Bay of Biscay, in northern Spain, where the fish school prolifically and are caught using techniques that have been passed down for generations.
Before dawn during mackerel season in spring, when the weather is often moody and unpredictable, small boats set off in search of mackerel. When they encounter the dense, swirling schools of fish, they cast out their lines, each set with up to 30 hooks wrapped in red wool to look like the tiny crustaceans that entice mackerel to bite. This method requires no baitfish, results in little to no bycatch, and produces better-quality fish, since mackerel are never crushed at the bottom of a net. The mackerel are taken to nearby cannery Conservas Antonio Pérez Lafuente, where they’re lightly seasoned and packed in extra-virgin olive oil.
Red thread simulates the tiny crustaceans that mackerel find irresistible. No live bait needed. Photo by Amy Kumler
Show More +
Enviro: Small Fish, Big Impact
"You must never compromise with those who want to squeeze the sea." —Miguel Fernández Pérez, head of the Santoña fishermen's association. Photo by Amy Kumler
Eating Atlantic mackerel takes pressure off larger, overfished species like tuna. This allows the less abundant fish stocks to recover.
“Forage fish—such as mackerel, sardines and anchovies—are low in the food chain,” says Tatiana Lodder, Seafood Assessor for Good Fish Foundation, an organization dedicated to fish conservation. “There’s a lot of biomass and they’re much more resilient than the larger, higher trophic species.” In fact, the numbers of Atlantic mackerel actually appear to be increasing in our oceans. The Good Fish Foundation carefully assesses our mackerel stock to ensure there’s plenty left—for us and for other species that depend on them for food.
Illustration: Ilka Hadlock
Show More +
Culture: Workers First
Fishermen Adrian Fernandez and Luis Miguel Fernandez on the mackerel boat Salvador Padre, heading out to the fishing grounds. Photo by Amy Kumler
Our mackerel fishers come from the village of Santoña, in the coastal province of Cantabria. They belong to a traditional local cofradía, or fishing association, which shares profits and guarantees worker safety and other benefits.
Founded 120 years ago, the Santoña cofradía is one of the oldest of its kind in Cantabria. “All the fishing here is artisanal—these are families, not big corporations— and they’re all members of the cofradía,” says José Ramon Fernández del Val, the seafood buyer for our production partner in northern Spain that processes and cans our Atlantic mackerel.
In San Vicente de la Barquera, a Cantabrian village on the Bay of Biscay, the fate of the town’s 4,000 people is deeply intertwined with the health and productivity of the ocean at their doorstep. Photo by Amy Kumler
Show More +
Partners: Guided by Science
As part of her fieldwork, Tatiana Lodder of the Good Fish Foundation examines recent harvests at the local fish market. Santoña, Spain. Photo by Amy Kumler
We work with Good Fish Foundation, of Veenendaal, the Netherlands, to ensure that Bay of Biscay mackerel, as harvested by the Cantabrian fleet, remain a truly renewable resource.
As one of the few food companies that works in direct partnership with fish conservation and science organizations, our goal is to find solutions that protect, rather than deplete, our home planet. Good Fish evaluates the sustainability of fisheries in Europe and works with fishermen, fish farmers, processors and retailers to help seafood buyers make environmentally sound decisions about what to eat. The group also publishes a sustainable seafood guide for consumers and advises chefs.
When the scientists and crew of the Good Fish Foundation take a day off from ensuring that we’ll have fish in the future, they head to—where else?—the beach.
Photo Courtesy of Good Fish Foundation
Photo Courtesy of Good Fish Foundation
Show More +
Our mild, meaty Mackerel fillets are packed in organic extra-virgin olive oil and are available with four different seasonings: Lemon Caper, Spanish Paprika, Roasted Garlic and Smoked.
Delicious Recipes
Our take on the classic tuna melt, with responsibly sourced and equally delicious Atlantic mackerel. Photo by Thomas J. Story
Salmon Conservation
Strange as it may sound, we believe harvesting and eating wild salmon in the right numbers, from the right places, can actually help save them.
The Soul Who Swims
I wonder if a vision of her life is passing before her as she lies here with that one unblinking eye staring up at the enormous trees overhead and the sunlit sky beyond them.
Salmon Dreams
At night I dream of salmon gliding through heavy seas, turning toward a faint scent of their birth rivers; in brackish bays feeling the pull of lunar motion and a taste of sweet...
The Secretly Sexy Organism That Might Just Save the Planet
When you write about sustainability and seafood, you have to revisit your definition of sexy.
What are Salmon For?
And essay from biologist, activist and co-founder of the Wild Fish Conservancy, Bill McMillan.
The Simple Customs of Salmon Nation
Liz Woody writes about how salmon were the first to teach us of wealth.
Regenerative Ocean Farming: The (Least) Deadliest Catch
Bren Smith's article talks about the power of restorative ocean farming and delicious food grown for both people and the planet.
A Natural History of Pacific Salmon
Jim Lichatowich is a fishery biologist and has spent the last 30 years working on Pacific salmon conservation.
New
Sale
