Overview
Chilean common hake (Merluccius gayi gayi) is a demersal species inhabiting Chilean waters. The Chilean common hake fishery takes place between the northern boundary of the IV Region and parallel 41°28.6' S in the X Region. The fishery has two sub-units, given that it is exploited by two fleets: the artisanal and the industrial. The most recent stock assessments for Chilean common hake show the resource is overexploited with a spawning biomass level of 25% with respect to the virgin level. The analysis of status shows a mild and progressive recovery of the resource, explained by a significant drop in the annual quotas of from the year 2006. This process of recovery is confirmed by an improvement in the relative to the average sizes in the catches and in the catches industrial fishing yields. In the same way, the direct assessment cruise carried out in August of 2017 shows slight signs of recovery.
The Chilean common hake FIP was publicly announced in May 2012, and is being led by the fishing industry association, SONAPESCA, and CeDePesca.
Currently, this FIP aims to promote the adoption of a recovery plan for the fishery with clear goals, timeframes, and harvest rules in line with the recently ammended Chilean Fisheries Law. It also aims at minimizing - and eventually eliminating - practices such as underreporting and illegal trade, which have been identified as an issue by authorities and stakeholders within the artisanal sector. Curbing or eliminating these practices would have a direct impact on the status of the stock. In addition, the FIP is encouraging research to help properly understand the impacts of this trawling fishery on other elements of the ecosystem in order to establish its level of impact and to design practical measures to mitigate it, if deemed necessary.
Certain FIP goals have already been accomplished and include:
- Promoting consolidation of the stock assessment model after the international peer review took place.
- Encouraging authorities to establish the TAC in accordance with scientific recommendations.
- Promoting the start of data collection activities regarding the fishery impacts over the seabed and on other ecosystem components.
In 2015 the Scientific Technical Committee indicated that the resource in the area of the fishery unit is depleted or collapsed (BD<BDLimite) with a spawning biomass level of 14% to 18% above virgin level. Meanwhile, in 2018, the Committee indicated that the resource is overexploited with a spawning biomass level of 25% with respect to the virginal level. The status analysis shows a slight and progressive recovery of the resource, explained by a significant decrease in the annual catch quotas as of 2006.
To read more about this FIP progress, please visit CeDePesca's Chilean Common hake FIP Public report (updated quaterly).
Chilean common hake (Merluccius gayi gayi) is a demersal species inhabiting Chilean waters. The Chilean common hake fishery takes place between the northern boundary of the IV Region and parallel 41°28.6' S in the X Region. The fishery
- To Adopt and implement a management plan for the fishery with clear objectives, timelines and catch rules that allow the stock to move towards the target biological reference point by April 2018.
- To minimize, and eventually eliminate, under-reported fishing and illegal trade of hake in the artisanal portion of the fishery by April 2022.
- To continue to understand and, if necessary, mitigate the impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem by April 2020.
- To achieve an MSC certifiable status and enter full assessment by April 2022.