Hake (/heɪk/) is thecommon name for fish in theMerlucciidae family of the northern and southern oceans[1] and thePhycidae family[a] of the northern oceans. Hake is a commercially important fish in the same taxonomic order,Gadiformes, ascod andhaddock.
Hake are medium-to-large fish averaging from 0.5 to 3.6 kilograms (1 to 8 pounds) in weight, with specimens as large as 27 kg (60 lb).[2] The fish can grow up to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) in length with alifespan of as long as 14 years.
Hake may be found in theAtlantic Ocean andPacific Ocean in waters from 200 to 350 metres (660 to 1,150 ft) deep. The fish stay in deep water during the day and come to shallower depths during the night. An undiscerningpredator, hake feed on prey found near or on thebottom of the sea. Male and female hake are very similar in appearance.[3]
Afterspawning, the hake eggs float on the surface of the sea where the larvae develop. After a certain period of time, the baby hake then migrate to the bottom of the sea, preferring depths of less than 200 metres (656 ft).[3]
A total of 13 hake species are known in the familyMerlucciidae:
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Not all hake species are viewed as commercially important, but the deep-water and shallow-water hakes are known to grow rapidly and make up the majority of harvested species.[5] Indicators of quality in hake products for human consumption include whiteflesh free of signs ofbrowning, dryness, or grayness, and with a fresh, seawater smell.[2] Hake is sold as frozen,fillets or steaks, fresh,smoked, orsalted.
The main catching method of deep-water hake is primarilytrawling, and shallow-water hake is mostly caught by inshore trawl andlonglining. Hake are mostly found in the Southwest Atlantic (Argentina andUruguay), Southeast Pacific (Chile andPeru), Southeast Atlantic (Namibia andSouth Africa), Southwest Pacific (New Zealand), andMediterranean andBlack Sea (Italy,Portugal,Spain,Greece andFrance).
Due tooverfishing, Argentine hake catches have declined drastically. About 80% of adult hake has apparently disappeared from Argentine waters. Argentine hake is not expected to disappear, but the stock may be so low that it is no longer economical for commercial fishing.[6] In addition, this adversely affects Argentine employment, because of many jobs in the fishing industries. Conversely, Argentine hake prices rose due to hake scarcity, reducing exports and affecting the economy.[7]
In Chile, seafood exports, especially Chilean hake, have decreased dramatically. Hake export has decreased by almost 19 percent. The main cause of this decline is the February2010 Chile earthquake andtsunami. These disasters destroyed most processing plants, especially manufacturing companies that producefish meal and frozen fillets.[8]
European hake catches are well below historical levels because of hakedepletion in theMediterranean andBlack Sea. Various factors might have caused this decline, including a too-hightotal allowable catch, unsustainable fishing,ecological problems, juvenile catches, or non-registered catches.
Namibia is the only country that has increased its hake quota, from 130,000 tonnes (130,000 long tons; 140,000 short tons) in 2009 to 145,000 tonnes (143,000 long tons; 160,000 short tons) in 2010.[9] Furthermore, theNamibian Ministry of Fisheries adheres to strict rules regarding the catch of hake. For example, the closed seasons for hake lasts approximately two months, in September and October, depending on the level of stock. This rule has been applied to ensure the regrowth of the hake population. Supplemental restrictions forbidtrawling for Hake in waters less than 200 metres (656 ft) deep (to avoid damaging non-target specieshabitat) and to minimizeby-catch.
Frank Forrester'sFishermens' Guide in 1885 mentions a hake that was transplanted from the coast ofIreland toCape Cod on the coast ofMassachusetts in theUnited States. It is uncertain which species it was, but theFishermens' Guide stated:
This is an Irishsalt water fish, similar in appearance to thetom cod. InGalway bay, and other seainlets of Ireland, the hake is exceedingly abundant, and is taken in great numbers. It is also found inEngland andFrance. Since theIrish immigration to America, the hake has followed in the wake of their masters, as it is now found inNew York bay, in the waters aroundBoston, and off Cape Cod. Here it is called the stock fish, and the Bostonians call them poor Johns. [...] It is a singular fact that until within a few years this fish was never seen in America. It does not grow as large here as in Europe, though here they are from ten to eighteen inches [250 to 460 mm] in length. [...] The general color of this fish is a reddish brown, with some golden tints—the sides being of a pink silvery luster.[10]
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