Social protests in Chile’s Aysén Region this year have seriously affected production of southern hake, as traditional fishermen have stopped activities and local plants have also been temporarily shut down, though the impact on prices of that species (merluza austral) could not be determined by press time in mid-March.
Chile produces two types of hake: Chilean hake (merluza común) and southern hake. Both are fished year-round, with activities suspended from August to September for reproductive purposes. As its name implies, the former is the more commonly extracted, with peak activity in the period ranging from March to July.
Landings of both hakes have gradually fallen over the years, as the authorities impose stricter harvest quotas on the industrial sector in an attempt to preserve and improve stocks. Chilean hake in particular has suffered significant depletion, not just due to human activity, but also due to the arrival of predators like the jumbo squid, which has been having a significant effect on this fishery for several years. Chilean hake landings have fallen from a peak of 121,200 tons in 2001 to just under 43,000 tons last year and quotas have been cut even further this year.
The Chilean hake fishery is in the process of obtaining Marine Stewardship Council certification, though government reports have noted that measures taken to replenish the biomass have not yet had an effect. The World Wildlife Fund has also expressed doubts regarding the fishery’s eligibility for sustainability certification. Southern hake landings have also been in decline since 2004, with 2011 landings totaling some 20,500 tons (preliminary figures). The quota set for this year is slightly more than 22,500 tons.
Quotas are divided among traditional fishermen and the industrial sector and in the case of the more common Chilean hake, the former produces around one third of the total amount extracted, which is destined for domestic consumption, while the industrial sector exports the rest (approximately 30,000 tons). This product is shipped mostly to the United States (30 percent), the European Union (30 percent, especially France, Italy, Germany, Holland) and Latin America (25 percent, mostly Venezuela). Southern hake is more or less divided equally among both harvest sectors and is almost exclusively dedicated to export, with almost all shipments being sent to Spain. Demand for both species has remained relatively stable.
Average prices in 2011 for frozen Chilean hake were USD 2.90 per kilogram, while frozen southern hake commanded USD 5.24 per kilogram. Meanwhile, fresh southern hake was priced at USD 4.20 per kilogram, and fresh Chilean hake was approximately USD 1.50 per kilogram.
