A streamlined, fast-swimming fish, with a deeply forked tail, the Mackerel migrates to shallower waters during the summer. Mackerel 'school', forming large groups that appear to move as one. They feed on small fish, such as sand eels, but spend the winter in deep water where they stop feeding.
Mackerel are a commercially important species and declined severely during the 1960s due to overfishing - a threat which continues today. You can help by being careful about what you choose in the supermarket - go for sustainably produced fish and shellfish, preferably with the Marine Stewardship Council's logo. The Wildlife Trusts are working with fishermen, researchers, politicians and local people towards a vision of 'Living Seas', where marine wildlife thrives.
