European hake

The European hake stock in the North Sea, the Skagerrak and Kattegat, the Celtic Sea, waters west of Scotland and Ireland, the Bay of Biscay, and Iberian Atlantic waters (ICES areas 3a, 4, 6, 7, 8a, 8b and 8d) is doing reasonably well. Although biomass remains above sustainable levels, the stock has been declining in recent years. Current fishing pressure is too high and is expected to cause the stock to decline further in the long term.

Fishing with anchored gillnets has low CO₂ emissions but carries a high risk of lost fishing gear and may catch marine mammals, seabirds and other protected species (ETP) as bycatch. Fishing with bottom otter trawls results in higher levels of discards and bycatch and causes greater damage to the seabed and benthic life. Anchored gillnets are therefore the better choice, although both fishing methods receive a red rating due to the high fishing pressure on the stock.

Management is considered partly effective. The fishery is jointly managed by the European Union, the United Kingdom and Norway through catch limits, but the current measures are insufficient to further reduce fishing pressure. Enforcement and the monitoring of discards, bycatch and lost fishing gear remain areas of concern. Approximately 20% of the hake fishery using bottom otter trawls is MSC-certified, compared with approximately 2% of the fishery using anchored gillnets.

European hake has been MSC-certified since 2008. The northern population of European hake was heavily overfished in the past, but has recovered well under a new management plan. MSC-certified European hake is caught using gillnets, Danish seines, purse seines, trawls, pelagic trawls and Scottish seines.

The hake stock in the Skagerrak and Kattegat, the North Sea, waters west of Scotland, the Celtic Seas, the northern and central Bay of Biscay, and Iberian waters is doing reasonably well. Although biomass remains above sustainable levels, the stock has been declining in recent years. Current fishing pressure is relatively high and is expected to cause the stock to decline further in the long term.

Fishing with demersal longlines may catch seabirds, sea turtles and other protected species (ETP) as bycatch. Discards are expected to be limited, and bottom longlines cause less damage to the seabed than active bottom fisheries, although sensitive habitats may still be affected. CO₂ emissions and the risk of lost fishing gear are low, but the consequences for the food web are still insufficiently understood.

Management is considered partly effective. The fishery is jointly managed by the European Union, the United Kingdom and Norway through catch limits, but the current measures are insufficient to further reduce fishing pressure. Enforcement and the monitoring of vulnerable species could be improved. There is no FIP available, and only around 0.0003% of this fishery is MSC-certified.

The hake stock in the Northern and Southern Adriatic Sea is doing poorly. Its reproductive capacity is under pressure, and current fishing pressure is too high to allow the stock to recover in the long term. In particular, the high catch of juvenile hake may further deteriorate the age structure of the stock.

Fishing with demersal longlines may catch vulnerable and protected species (ETP), such as sharks, rays, sea turtles and seabirds, as bycatch. Discards are expected to be limited, but the composition of the catch is insufficiently known to properly assess the overall impact. The consequences for the food web are also uncertain, although climate change is likely to play an important role as well. The risk of damage caused by lost fishing gear is low.

Management is considered partly effective. Restrictions on fishing effort and temporary or closed areas are in place, but these measures are insufficient to allow the stock to recover sustainably and do not fully align with scientific advice. Protection of vulnerable species and enforcement could be improved. There is no MSC certification or FIP available for this fishery.