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 that the fishing stock is barely at its limit reference point, and that the recovery process has stalled as of 2010, even if the recruitment process seems to not have been impaired.
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.
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 recovery plan for the fishery with clear goals, timeframes and harvest rules 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 2020.
- 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 2020.