These sweet and juicy little fish are a prized speciality of Andalusia, Spain, and are caught and processed today just as they were centuries ago. Cooked on the day they are caught, the Atlantic chub mackerel are one of the world’s most sustainable fish, absolutely delicious to eat and a responsible environmental choice.

Fished in the clean waters off Portugal and Spain (in FAO Areas 27 and 34), they are caught in small nets by fishermen in small boats. The fillets, then preserved in certified organic olive oil, are gently cooked and filleted by the all-female processors as is the tradition in these parts.

Wonderful to eat on toast or as part of robust salads, these mackerel are the ultimate convenience food, perfect to pull out of the pantry for a quick meal, or to turn into a healthy meal.

Why Good Fish Spanish Mackerel in Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is great

1. Wild fished

2. Sustainably caught (FAO Areas 27 and 34) under the European Commission's Common Fisheries Policy

3. Fished to quotas

4. 100 percent Atlantic club mackerel

5. 100 percent dolphin safe

6. Fished in small boats with small nets (no sonar)

7. BPA free

8. Chemical free

9. Additive free

10. Certified organic (olive oil)

11. Hand processed

12. Fair trade (workers are responsibly paid)

13. Nutrient rich

14. Tastes great

More about Good Fish Mackerel

Good Fish premium mackerel is a prized specialty of Andalusia, Spain. Good Fish catch it in open seas, at the sustainable time of year, using small boats and small nets. Good Fish do not use sonar to stalk fish schools. There's no unnecessary waste. Just respectfully treated, hand-filleted fish that's cooked on the day it is caught and preserved in the finest organic olive oil. It's everything you want and nothing you don't. Delicious.

Why Spanish Mackerel?

Good Fish first encountered this amazing product several years ago in Europe. As soon as Good Fish tried a sample, they were blown away by the quality of the fish, its flavour and texture. Fished off the coast of Spain and Portugal, from Gibraltar in the south up to Porto in the north, this breed of mackerel, called Atlantic chub mackerel, is smaller and sweeter than the Spanish mackerel commonly found in Australian waters. The quality of the fish in this area is superior based on what the fish eat. Good Fish fish in this area at times when the temperature is optimum, following the changes in the water daily to find the best fish at any one time.

Sustainability

• Good Fish mackerel is wild caught by local fisherman working in managed areas (FAO Areas 27 and 34) with small boats and small nets under the European Commission's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
• Fish are caught in small local boats that use small nets.
• Reduction of by-catch is paramount. If a dolphin is in the net the whole batch must be released. 
• The fish are not found by sonar. The best quality mackerel are the ones with a strong hunger that will energetically chase the bait and it is only these Good Fish want to catch with a small net, rather than clearing out whole schools via sonar location.
• The Atlantic chub mackerel is categorised as a species of "least concern" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species guide (www.iucnredlist.org)
• Fish caught in this zone are caught to a quota system, which means that sometimes fish are unavailable as the quota has been filled. Under the EU's CFP, when a quota of a species is fished, the EU must close the fishery.

Quality And Health Credentials

• Atlantic chub mackerel is a small fish quite in the food chain, meaning it has low potential for mercury accumulation.
•  All Good Fish fish are caught wild in areas where they are best. Only the finest quality fish are selected, specifically those with bright eyes, bright-red gills and generally "brilliant" looking fish.
• While being a good-value fish, mackerel has bountiful health benefits including rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and high in protein.
• The fish is caught close to the processing facility, carefully chilled, then processed fresh within 24 hours.
• The mackerel are fished during the day and the boats come into the ports in the evening.
• Processing is done by hand in Spain in traditional methods that have been honed by skilful craftswomen over generations.
• The oil used is a Spanish certified organic extra virgin olive oil which enhances the flavour. The preserve's flavour matures with age, like wine.
• No chemicals are used in the processing or preserving of these fish. In some parts of the world is common to dip the fish for chemical peeling. The Good Fish facility in Spain was the first fish-processing facility to gain organic certification for processing with organic oils totally free from contamination, naturally.
• All Good Fish wild-caught fish are selected where they are best in the world and processed by the best in the world. That's Good Fish's point of difference.
• Fishing is done mainly in the summer when the quality of the fish is better because their fat level is higher, the meat is more tender and the taste is delicious.
• All tins are BPA-free and have been since BPA-free tins became available. Good Fish has been ahead of the pack in this regard. 
• In processing, the innards and blood and removed before processing which leads to superior flavour, tenderness, fat properties and quality in the fish. 

Community Benefits

• This mackerel is a prized speciality of the region (Andalusia) and great pride is taken in selecting the best fish and following traditional methods to the letter to create a delicacy of which Good Fish are very proud.
• It has been protected by the European Union under the Denomination of Origin system, meaning it is a product of cultural, environment and gastronomic importance. 
• The hand processing component  of this product done entirely by women, as is the tradition. Some of the women who work in peeling and filleting have been proudly employed in their craft for a lifetime.