The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has recommended increasing hake (Merluccius merluccius) fishing in northern waters by 13.8 percent next year to 123,77 metric tons (MT). However, for the Iberian or southern hake, it has proposed the catch should be reduced by 24.5 percent to 8,049 MT, which won’t be good news for Spain, where it is the most popular fish among consumers.
The annual consumption of hake in Spain, where it is known as “la merluza,” averages 81,453 MT or 3.5 kg per capita, which is more than three times its consumption of cod or salmon, according to the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA).
There are two distinctive markets for hake: large fish and small fish. In Spain, the average retail price of the larger (above 2kg) is approximately 69 percent higher than smaller fish, averaging EUR 15.17 (USD 16.88) per kg over the 12 months from March 2015 to February 2016, which was 1 percent higher than during the previous 12 months.
The prices of smaller hake – under 2kg – for the same period averaged EUR 9.19 (USD 10.23) per kg, an increase of 5 percent year-on-year.
In Spain, 75 percent of hake purchases are fresh.
To meet the high demand for this whitefish, Spain imports significant volumes to supplement its domestic landings. For example, in 2013 it added 58,404 MT of imported hake to its own catch of 30,332 MT. It also had a modest export trade of 7,283 MT.
Other key European markets for hake include France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
