chilean hake
fishery improvement partnership
Formal stock assessments indicate the resource is at low levels although the exact status of the stock and the causes of the decline are in dispute. The fishery was undergoing Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) full assessment but this stalled some years ago and the fishery has now been removed from the MSC site. The stock declines and impacts on catches have lead to a battle between artisanal and industrial fishers over quota allocation and the need to close the fishery. These debates, while important in assessing sustainability, have been intense enough to impede the development of a fishery improvement partnership.
SFP and CeDePesca continue to facilitate dialogs between artisanal and industrial fisheries to reach common improvement goals. As the relationship between the conflicting parties improves, there’s a chance they will participate in a new MSC pre-assessment process.