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Mackerel no longer a sustainable choice as overfishing takes its toll

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Marine experts urge shift to herring and sardines as stocks decline

MACKEREL stocks in the north-east Atlantic are reaching a critical low due to continued overfishing, prompting a downgrade in sustainability ratings and a call for urgent action.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), which publishes the annual Good Fish Guide, has now advised consumers and retailers to seek alternative species such as North Sea herring and Cornish sardines.

Once considered a plentiful and sustainable choice, north-east Atlantic mackerel has suffered from years of overfishing, with catch levels exceeding scientific advice by an average of 39% between 2020 and 2024. Some years have seen limits surpassed by up to 80%, largely due to activity by nations including the UK, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Alice Moore, manager of the Good Fish Guide, said: “It’s deeply concerning to see a fish that was once a sustainable staple now facing a steep decline. Unless nations urgently align their catch limits with scientific recommendations, we risk losing this important species from our seas.”

The Good Fish Guide uses a traffic-light system to rate fish and seafood according to sustainability. Green (ratings 1–2) marks the best choices, amber (3–4) signals concerns, and red (5) indicates species to avoid. The guide also provides tailored advice to businesses such as restaurants and supermarkets, encouraging them to stock only fish rated between 1 and 3.

In the latest update, north-east Atlantic mackerel caught using midwater trawl nets—common in supermarket and restaurant supply chains—has been downgraded from amber (3) to a 4, placing it in the “fish to avoid” category for retailers. Mackerel caught by hook and line has also seen a downgrade, from 2 to 3.

Conversely, some positive changes were reported. Monkfish from the North Sea has been upgraded from amber to green, signalling a more sustainable recovery. Blue marlin has been removed from the red list altogether.

Despite these gains, the warning over mackerel is stark. The MCS says the fish is “nearing a breaking point” and that international cooperation is now vital.

“We are witnessing a slow collapse of what was once a success story in sustainable fishing,” Moore said. “The UK must lead efforts to protect the long-term future of our marine ecosystems.”

Crime

Woman stabbed partner in Haverfordwest before handing herself in

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A WOMAN who stabbed her partner during a drug-fuelled episode walked straight into Haverfordwest Police Station and told officers what she had done, Swansea Crown Court has heard.

Amy Woolston, 22, of Dartmouth Street in Milford Haven, arrived at the station at around 8:00pm on June 13 and said: “I stabbed my ex-partner earlier… he’s alright and he let me walk off,” prosecutor Tom Scapens told the court.

The pair had taken acid together earlier in the day, and Woolston claimed she believed she could feel “stab marks in her back” before the incident.

Police find victim with four wounds

Officers went to the victim’s home to check on him. He was not there at first, but returned shortly afterwards. He appeared sober and told police: “Just a couple of things,” before pointing to injuries on his back.

He had three stab or puncture wounds to his back and another to his bicep.

The victim said that when he arrived home from the shop, Woolston was acting “a bit shifty”. After asking if she was alright, she grabbed something from the windowsill — described as either a knife or a shard of glass — and stabbed him.

He told officers he had “had worse from her before”, did not support a prosecution, and refused to go to hospital.

Defendant has long history of violence

Woolston pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. The court heard she had amassed 20 previous convictions from 10 court appearances, including assaults, battery, and offences against emergency workers.

Defending, Dyfed Thomas said Woolston had longstanding mental health problems and had been off medication prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia at the time.
“She’s had a difficult upbringing,” he added, saying she was remorseful and now compliant with treatment.

Woolston was jailed for 12 months, but the court heard she has already served the equivalent time on remand and will be released imminently on a 12-month licence.

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BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

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THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old. 

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Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

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THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines docked at Pembroke Port last week, marking the start of physical deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock on Wednesday 26th November, bringing tower sections and other heavy components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, has arrived in Pembroke Port today  (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.

The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived last week with the first components,” she said. “We are expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

The Weather conditions were favourable for the arrival of the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are expected to begin early next year, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.

Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

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