Hake

You are here:

1. Home
2. What We Do
3. Publications
4. The Best Fish Guide
5. Fish Species
6. Hake

Best Fish Guide: Hake

 Ranking: E (Red - Worst Choice)

What's this? 

 Description: Hake is a relative of the hoki, found only in New Zealand. It is targeted on the Chatham Rise and in the sub-Antarctics, but is usually caught as bycatch by mid-water hoki trawling. Most hake is caught off the West Coast of the South Island with some taken from the south of the South Island and around the Chatham Islands. The hake trawl fishery is currently seeking environmental certification under an international body - the Marine Stewardship Council.

Ecological concerns: Seabirds and marine mammals are commonly caught as bycatch in the associated hoki fishery (NZ fur seals, albatrosses and petrels). Other concerns include inconsistencies between quota boundaries and stock boundaries, the uncertainty of stock size and trends for West Coast and Sub-Antarctic populations, the lack of a management plan, illegal mis-reporting of catches and the rapid decline in Chatham Rise hake.

Economic value: The main export markets are Japan, Spain, Australia and Portugal, which were worth $27 million in 2008.

ASSESSMENT OUTPUT

Biology and risk of overfishing (score C)
Status and sustainability of fish catches (score C)
Impact of fishing method and protected, threatened and endangered species captures (score E and D)
Management and management unit (score C and D)
 

For a full ecological assessment click here