Seafood to Avoid Jack mackerel Scientific name: Jack Mackerel Trachurus declivis, New Zealand Jack Mackerel T. novaezelandiae, Peruvian Jack Mackerel T. symmetricus murphyi Other names: haature, hauture (Maori), horse mackerel, chinchard neozelandias (Can). Ranking: E (Red - Worst Choice)

Icon Explanations

The main concerns with this fishery are: the management of three species as one fishery, the lack of some basic biological data for Peruvian jack mackerel, the unknown sustainability of recent catch levels especially for JMA7, the bycatch of dolphins in the JMA7 fishery and fur seals in JMA 3, non-target fish bycatch, seabird bycatch and ecological implications of it's removal from the food web. Other concerns include the limited research, the lack of a management plan and bottom trawl impacts on the seabed. These three species need to be split into three separate quota management species.

The fishery assessment plenary report states: "Little is known about the resource in JMA3, though estimated species proportions indicate a catch dominated by T. murphyi. For JMA 1 and 3 it is not known whether catches at the level of the current TACCs [total allowable commercial catches] or recent catch levels are sustainable in the long term, or whether they will allow the stock to move towards a size that will support the MSY [maximum sustainable yield]." For JMA7 "The current TACC is approximately 50 percent greater than the historical MCY-based estimates for T. declivis and T. novaezelandiae combined... The 2007 assessment for T. declivisÉ indicates that the current biomass is 53% Bo, so the stock is probably above Bmsy. The status of T. novaezelandiae and T murphyi is unknown(MFish 2007, p385).

Market: Export value of $30.6 million in 2005 with main markets in Japan, Eastern Europe and Fiji.

Status and sustainable yield
Status: Unknown for Peruvian jack mackerel and a preliminary assessment for T declivis in JMA7.
Annual catch limit: Set at 60,546 tonnes in 2001-02.
Recorded catch: Reported landings of 42,706 tonnes in 2005-06.
Population size: Biomass estimates for JMA7 are uncertain.
Stock trends: Decline in T. declivis in JMA7. Landings have consistently been lower than the total allowable commercial catch since the mid-1990s.

Fishing method
Method: Bottom and mid-water trawling and purse seining.
Habitat damage: Low for purse seining; bottom trawling in effect bulldozes the seabed and can kill or damage bottom dwelling species.
Bycatch: Trawl fishing around Taranaki, off Waikato and Auckland catches common dolphins and trawling on the Snares shelf catches fur seals. Blue mackerel is also a bycatch species.
Ecological effects: Impact of bottom trawling and removal given it is an important predator and prey species.

Management
Stock assessment: A preliminary stock assessment for T declivis in JMA7. No new quantitative assessment for T. novaezelandiae since 1993 in JMA7. No yield estimates in JMA 1 or 3 or for T. murphyi in any stock.
Management plan: No.
Quota Management Species: Yes, all three species together as one but only in all areas since 1995.

Biology
Distribution: Jack mackerel and NZ jack mackerel are northern species above 450S and 420S respectively while Peruvian jack mackerel is a more southerly species from around the Stewart-Snares Shelf and the Chatham Rise. The two northern species are found <150-300m respectively while Peruvian jack mackerel is found to a depth of >500m.

	Jack mackerel	NZ mackerel	Peruvian mackerel
Maximum age (years)	25+	25+	32?
Age at sexual maturity	2-4	3-4	4?
Growth rate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Reproductive output	Medium-high	Medium-high	Medium?
Age exploited	2-3	Unknown	2?

This page was updated on 9 November, 2007