July 10, 2026 — After a declining population of mackerel since 2017, recent assessments show the population is improving, according to NOAA Fisheries.
NOAA says it found that the Atlantic mackerel population was dangerously low and overfishing was occurring in 2017. Since then, it says it has implemented a 5-year rebuilding plan to help the population recover. The plan was extended to 10 years after a 2021 assessment estimated it could not be done in the initial time frame.