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Argentine hake

Quality mark Cultivation
/Keurmerk Wild
Green
Second choice
Avoid
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General

Cod-like fish

Cod-like fishes belong to the Gadidae family. This includes the Atlantic and Pacific cod, pouting, haddock, whiting, European pollock, Alaska pollock and saithe. They live near the seabed in coastal waters and in deeper waters. During the day, they aggregate in schools. At night, they separate to forage independently. Gadidae are omnivorous fish that feed on worms, molluscs, bivalves, crustaceans and small fish. They migrate over large distances to spawn and to hunt on large schools of herring and smelt.

 

 

Argentine hake

The Argentine hake can be found in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. This species can grow up to 95 cm in length and weigh up to 5 kg. This species of hake often resides at great depths of 100 to 200 metres. In spring, these fish migrate to the coast and reproduce in the summer. Come winter, they migrate back to deeper waters.

 

Argentine hake

Merluccius hubbsi
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, south-west (FAO 41)

Farming- / Catch method

Demersal otter trawl

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Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

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.

ASC label

Fish with the ASC label is farmed in a sustainable manner.

MSC label

Fish with the MSC label is caught sustainably.

Good fish

This fish is not being overfished or is being responsibly farmed, with minimal impact on the environment.

Second choice

This fish is a second choice. There are still some improvements to be made in this fishery or fish farm.

Avoid

Do not buy this fish. It's being overfished or the way it's farmed or caught has a negative impact on the environment.

Welfare

There is fish available of this species that is farmed or caught using high welfare standards.

GlobalG.A.P.

GlobalG.A.P. certified farms are doing a step in the right direction in terms of sustainability. A few species with this label are getting a better score on the VISwijzer.

Organic

Organic standards are the strictest when it comes to fish feed. They also require certain measures for animal well-being.