Atlantic mackerel are one of the highest-volume wild-caught fish species, with capture methods causing acute welfare harms to billions of individuals annually.
Atlantic mackerel capture causes acute welfare harms at enormous scale. Purse seine hauling compresses millions of fish into confined spaces, causing crushing injuries, scale loss, and hypoxia as oxygen depletes in the densely packed mass. Fish at the bottom of the catch are crushed by those above. The rapid pressure changes during hauling can cause barotrauma. Mackerel brought on board encounter the extreme stress of air exposure and asphyxiation, dying over several minutes. Given mackerel's well-documented pain capacity, these are welfare harms occurring to billions of individuals annually with essentially no mitigation. Improved welfare practices — rapid chilling immediately on capture, reduced haul density, and faster processing — represent achievable improvements.