The Fat Contents of Irish Mackerel During 1984/85 and 1985/86

The fat contents of Irish mackerel in recent years (1983-1984) have been published by McArdle, Barrtwall and Nolan (Fishery Leaflet 129). Since then, routine analyses of mackerel including fat content have been continued during the 1984/85 and 1985/86 seasons and the results have been circulated to the trade. Because processors now attach considerable importance to fat contents, and because there have been suggestions that the fat content during 1985/86 may have been abnormally high, it has been decided to publish the complete results of all samples analysed during the last two fishing seasons