Chilean hake - bottom trawl

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Overview

The Chilean hake - bottom trawl FIP is being implemented by SONAPESCA, PacificBlu and CeDePesca.  The FIP was publicly announced in May 2012, although early improvement efforts were carried out by CeDePesca as early as 2007.

Chilean hake (Merluccius gayi gayi, also known as whiting) is a demersal species inhabiting Chilean waters.  The Chilean hake fishery takes place between the northern boundary of Chile’s IV Region and parallel 41°28.6' S in Chile’s X Region.  The fishery has two sectors: the artisanal sector and the industrial sector.  The industrial sector is comprised of an industrial small-scale fleet composed of vessels with motor engines less than 1,000hp, and an industrial large-scale fleet composed of vessels with motor engines larger than 1,000hp.  This FIP involves the large-scale industrial fleet, although it is expected to continue to produce positive effects in the fishery as a whole.

In September 2019, the stock assessment conducted by IFOP showed that the Chilean hake stock is now above its limit reference point, after several years of depletion.  This result was consistent in all the stock assessment scenarios explored by IFOP. 

So far, the FIP has achieved its early objectives, including:

  • Promoting the consolidation of the stock assessment model after an international peer review took place in 2011.
  • Encouraging authorities to establish the TAC in accordance with scientific recommendations by 2014.
  • Achieving the adoption of a recovery management plan for the fishery with clear goals, terms and harvest control rules in 2016.
  • Estimating illegal and unreported fishing in the artisanal sector by 2016, and installing the topic in the public agenda by 2018.
  • Encouraging the inclusion of estimations of unreported fishing into the stock assessment model by 2019.

To read more about this FIP early progress, please visit CeDePesca's Chilean hake FIP Public report.

FIP Description 

The Chilean hake - bottom trawl FIP is being implemented by SONAPESCA, PacificBlu and CeDePesca.  The FIP was publicly announced in May 2012, although early improvement efforts were carried out by

FIP Objective(s) 

Currently, the Chilean hake - bottom trawl FIP has the following objectives:

  • To encourage authorities to set TACs making use of the stock assessment scenarios that incorporate estimations of unreported fishing in the artisanal sector, by December 2023.
  • [COMPLETE] To promote the full implementation of the law that strengthened SERNAPESCA by February 2022, in order to minimize, and eventually eliminate, unreported fishing and illegal trade of Chilean hake in the artisanal sector of the fishery.
  • To achieve, by December 2023, a consensus among the industrial and artisanal sectors around practical solutions that would allow for the recovery of the stock to its target reference point in six years.
  • [COMPLETE] To continue to understand and, if necessary, mitigate the impacts of the industrial large-scale fishery on the ecosystem by June 2023.
FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 5: Improvements on the Water
Start and Projected End Dates
May 2012
December 2023
Update 
[APRIL 2021] In order to achieve its current objectives, this FIP has been extended by FIP partners up to February 2022. In January 2022, FIP partners will review the progress made, and make any necessary amends or extensions to the Action Plan. [APRIL 2022] After reviewing the progress made by the project, FIP partners have decided to extend the timeline up to December 2023.
Next Progress Report Due 
Friday, May 31, 2024
Species 
Common Name 
Pacific Hake
Scientific Name
Merluccius gayi gayi
Gear Type 
Bottom Trawl
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 87 (Pacific, Southeast)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Chile
Geographic Scope 
From the region of Coquimbo to 41º 28,6' South Latitude
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
14,916 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
20,113 metric tons
Landings Date 
December 2021
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
May 01, 2012
71% 29%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF
A Advanced Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.
  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
May 2024
Target End Date
Dec 2023
Additional Impacts:
Roundtable

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
CeDePesca
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Gabriela Mc Lean
Email 
gabriela.mclean@cedepesca.net
Website Name 
CeDePesca - Chilean hake FIP
Organization Name 
SONAPESCA
Organization Type 
Other
Primary Contact 
Héctor Bacigaulpo
Email 
hector.bacigalupo@sonapesca.cl
Website Name 
SONAPESCA
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
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