Argentine hake
Atlantic Ocean, south-west (FAO 41)
Demersal otter trawl
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Argentine hake has been heavily overfishedOverfished:
A stock is overfished when the stock size has decreased so far that it can no longer produce a maximum sustainable yield. The size of the fish populations is insufficient to reproduce in the long term. in the past. The [fishing pressure] has been reduced considerably, but it is questionable whether the stockStock:
The fish of a particular species reproducing in the same area in the same period. will recover within the next few years. To prevent the hake stock from collapsing, the fishing pressure has to be reduced even further. The fish stock and fishing pressure section receives an orange score.
Hake is caught using demersal otter trawls. This fishing method has a major disruptive impact on the seabed. In addition, the percentage of bycatchBycatch:
Species caught next to species targeted for fishery. By-catches can consist of non-commercial species and species that are too small, and can be kept (this part is sometimes called by-product) or thrown back into the sea (discards). is as high as 38% of the total catch. The by-catch consists mainly of young hake, but also of vulnerable and endangered sharks, rays, birds and whales. A large proportion of the discardsDiscards:
Unwanted by-catch, which is thrown back because there is no quota, the market price is too low, or the fish is below the legal minimum landing size. Discards can be alive or dead. do not survive. The ecosystem effects are significant and as an effect, this section receives a red score.
Management of Argentine hake has been strict since the stock collapsed in 2004. Unfortunately, this stricter policy has not yet resulted in a recovery of the stock. For that reason, the management section is rated orange.
The final assessment for this fishery is red. We therefore recommend avoiding this species and picking an orange or green alternative instead.
Fish in season
Fish in season is the best quality at that time because the spawning period is over.