Mackerel, Atlantic
Unlike other types of mackerel, Atlantic mackerel is very low in contaminants. They mature at a young age and their feeding habits do not expose them to much contamination. Atlantic mackerel are found in the western Atlantic from Canada down to North Carolina. While it was overfished during the 1960s and 1970s, effective regulations helped the species rebound. Atlantic mackerel are mostly caught using purse seine nets that are set on specific schools of fish. Midwater trawling is another method used. Both of these techniques result in minimal interactions with bottom habitat and are associated with low levels of bycatch (the unintended capture of other types of marine life).
