Profile updated on 22 May 2023
SCIENTIFIC NAME(s)
Scomber colias
SPECIES NAME(s)
Atlantic chub mackerel, Chub mackerel
The Atlantic chub mackerel, Scomber colias, is widely distributed on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean and Black Seas (ICES 2020)(ICES 2021).
The dynamics and stock identity of Atlantic chub mackerel in Atlantic European and Atlantic African waters remain unknown (ICES 2021). A recent ICES workshop mentioned a potential distribution boundary in the Strait of Gibraltar based on latitudinal trends of several biological parameters, which would support the separation of an NW African stock, but the connectivity of the Mediterranean distribution is unclear (ICES 2021). Further studies are underway (ICES 2020)(ICES 2021).
While no assessment is conducted in European and Mediterranean waters, the FAO CECAF assesses chub mackerel within NW African waters as a single stock (FAO 2020).
RELATED LINKS:
Management Quality:
< 6 to ≥ 6
< 6 to ≥ 6
< 6 to ≥ 6