Markets for Pacific hake
Pacific hake (Merluccius productus, also commonly known as Pacific whiting) is sold internationally, with North America, Europe and Asia being the foremost markets. This popular whitefish has long been used in producing surimi and more recently has filled an important niche in the frozen fillet, dressed and whole fish block markets.
Location of the Pacific hake fishery
The Pacific hake fishery operates in the Canadian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the British Columbia coast and in the US Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Washington, Oregon and California. Its management bodies are the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Pacific Fishery Management Council in the United States, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Canada.
The certified fishery
The US and Canadian fishery clients who sought the assessment now hold the MSC certificates for Pacific hake.
US fishery client
The US clients represent virtually the entire US onshore and at-sea hake processing sectors, and the mid-water trawl vessels that deliver their catch to the respective processing sectors.
Canadian fishery client
The Canadian client represents vessels from the Canadian fleet, which includes onshore and at-sea operations. 2009 quotas in this hake fishery are 48,061 metric tons for Canada and 135,939 metric tons for the US. All Pacific hake caught by MSC-certified vessels after October 1, 2008, six months prior to the date when the independent certifier issued a draft report concluding that the fishery meets the MSC standard, is now eligible for the MSC ecolabel.
The fishery client group
The fishery client group, which includes the Association of Pacific Hake Fishermen in Canada and the US-based Oregon Trawl Commission and Pacific Whiting Conservation Cooperative, has issued a joint statement saying, “We anticipated market demand and foresaw the potential for MSC certification of the Pacific hake fishery. We are pleased today to have reached this goal. For many years our fishery has been managed in a sustainable manner, and the globally recognized MSC ecolabel will provide further evidence of that sustainability to buyers around the world.”
Buyers congratulate the hake fishery
One of the large buyers of Pacific hake is Pickenpack, a German-based company that is a leading brand name in frozen fish products. “Pickenpack – Hussmann & Hahn Seafood GmbH extend their hearty congratulations to the Pacific hake mid-water trawl fishery on their MSC certification,” said Wolfgang Kohls, managing director for Pickenpack. “The importance of sustainability continues to grow across all markets in Europe, thus we – as a large manufacturer of frozen fish products and a big buyer of MSC-certified raw material – are very pleased that this significant fishery is now certified.”
Brad Ack, regional director for MSC Americas, said “We welcome these new partners among our growing number of certified fisheries. Pacific hake is widely used in many popular seafood products. With completion of a comprehensive, scientific assessment leading to MSC certification, buyers now have independent, third-party assurance that the fishery is sustainable and well-managed.”
Details of the hake fishery’s assessment against the MSC standard
The certifier for this fishery’s assessment was TAVEL Certification, Inc. During the assessment, the three principles of the MSC standard were evaluated in detail: the status of the fish stock, the impact of the fishery on the marine ecosystem and the management system overseeing the fishery. As with all MSC-certified fisheries, this fishery will undergo annual surveillance audits. More information about the fishery and its assessment results can be found at Pacific hake mid-water trawl fishery.
