two stocks, one in the north and one in the south, for which assessments are, according to the IUCN, "highly uncertain". As food Atlantic mackerel outer meat is red meat while inner meat is white, with a strong taste desirable to some consumers. They are sold fresh, frozen, smoked, salted, filleted, or as steaks. The fish is extremely high in oil content, vitamin B, vitamin B, selenium, niacin, and omega 3, a class of fatty acids, containing nearly twice as much of the latter per unit weight as salmon. Unlike the King and Spanish species, Northern Atlantic mackerel are very low in mercury, and can be eaten at least twice a week according to United States Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Conservation Despite its commercial status, the Atlantic mackerel was assessed to be of Least Concern by the IUCN in 2011. Its abundance and extensive range combined with a cyclical increase/decrease in catch mean that it is not currently in danger of going extinct. The IUCN did recommend careful monitoring, however, especially as the effects of climate change may impact population size and distribution. In the northeastern Atlantic, several countries impose minimum landing sizes. In the European Union this size is , Ukraine , Turkey , Romania , and Canada . Symbol The Spanish word for mackerel () is a colloquial demonym for the people of Ceuta, Spain. References Further reading External links EDF Report on Mackerel – Atlantic Mackerel conservation and contamination report Atlantic mackerel Smoked fish Cold water fish Fish of the North Atlantic Atlantic mackerel Atlantic mackerel