Line-Caught Mackerel

Dunmore East Fishermen’s Co-op has initiated a successful quality scheme for day boat, hand-line-caught mackerel, that is helping to secure new markets. Its keys to success are:

• Maximisation of fish quality at sea and onshore
  
  
• Provision to market of fish with a high fillet yield
  
  
• Working to ensure a sustainable fishery

Responsible fishing practices

Local boats use jigging machines to catch the mackerel and fish the rising tide on trips of only a few hours in duration. Undersized fish are quickly removed and returned to the sea alive, as they are only moments on the line.

Quality

Temperature management and care of the catch are fundamental to delivering an excellent product. Participating vessels take ice to sea in insulated bins, and fishermen wash, grade and ice the fish as soon as they are caught. This immediately starts the cooling process, which is crucial to the overall quality of the fish. On landing, fish is immediately placed into a quayside cold store, which is accessible to fisherman 24 hours per day.

The largest and highest quality fish is classed as ‘premium’ and has an average fillet yield >100g and an overall length > 28cm. These are placed in blue boxes prior to dispatch to distinguish them from other sizes of fish. Tailored orders for specific sizes and quantities are welcome and all fish is caught to order.

For retailers, mackerel can be individually tagged with the Dunmore East Fishermen’s Co-op logo, thus providing consumers with a guarantee of source when sold on the wet fish counter.

Customers  can be confident that:

• Undersized fish are returned alive to the fishery;
  
  
• Fish are iced at sea;
  
  
• On landing, fish are immediately re-iced and stored in a chilled store;
  
  
• All participating skippers have attended a training workshop on maximising fish quality at sea;
  
  
• Premium grade mackerel is at least 28cm in total length, with a total of 24 fish per 5kg;
  
  
• Fishermen only fish to order to ensure the quality and freshness of the product.

Read about the Dunmore East Fisherman's Co-op Product Range and the Dunmore East, Line-Caught Mackerel leaflet in pdf format below.