Mackerel boom in Iceland, Faroe: a threat to whitefish?

The mackerel bonanza in Icelandic and Faroese waters in recent years has been accompanied by a drop in whitefish stocks.

This has led to a belief among some fishermen and industry people that the mackerel -- nicknamed “rat of the ocean” -- might be affecting the demersal stocks by feeding on their larvae and common nutrients. 

However, the picture is not so simple. Although research is only at the beginning, the indications so far do not support such a theory, three scientists in Iceland and the Faroe Islands told IntraFish. 

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