The status of hake stocks is poor. Fishing pressure has decreased in recent years, but stock recovery is progressing slowly. Low fishing pressure is necessary for the stocks to recover further.
The fishery using trawl nets has high levels of discards, including juvenile hake and vulnerable (ETP) species such as sharks, rays, seabirds and cetaceans. A large proportion of discarded fish do not survive. Trawl nets also disturb the seabed and can alter the composition of the ecosystem.
Management was tightened after the stock collapse in 2004, but this has not yet led to sufficient recovery. Management is therefore considered insufficiently effective.