Topic: Hake

Hake is a demersal (bottom) fish that typically inhabits depths of 50–600 during day time. At night individual fish may migrate vertically into shallower water layers to feed. The main prey species are mackerel, herring, blue whiting and mesopelagic lanternfish, shrimps, and krill. Stomach content analyses also found that hake cannibalize on hake, but that the extent of cannibalism depends on fish size and location. 

Hake that is distributed along the Spanish coast and in the Bay of Biscay spawns mainly between January and June, whilst fish in the North Sea and Norwegian waters spawn between July and October. During summer months large mature fish migrate into areas of the northern and central North Sea to spawn several batches at 80–200 m depth and bottom temperatures of 6–90 °C. The length at which males mature lies between 37 and 45 cm, while that for females is between 50 and 59 cm. Younger and immature fish remain in the North Sea their first years before leaving the area, and only to return once mature.

Age estimation of hake based on otoliths is difficult, partly because of false annual rings and because of unclear otolith cores. Recaptured fish from tagging studies done off the west coast of France revealed that hake grow quicker than previously assumed. A genetic comparison of hake from the North Sea, the west coast of Norway, Skagerrak and Bay of Biscay showed small scale variation between the Skagerrak and Norwegian Sea, and a separation of these from the Bay of Biscay fish.

Hake with its firm white meat is a popular and sought-after species especially in Europe. Spain is the largest consumer of hake, followed by Portugal, France and Italy.

Status, advice and fishery

Hake in the North Sea and Skagerrak/Kattegat is managed as part of ICES northern hake stock, which also covers the Bay of Biscay, Celtic Sea, and the area west of Ireland and Scotland. Hake north of 62° is not part of this management area.

Total catches of ‘northern hake’ in 2023 amounted to 62 371 t, and in 2024 ICES recommended a TAC of 72 839 t. For 2025 the recommended ICES TAC is 52 466 t, a decrease of 28% compared to 2018. The average fishing mortality in 2024 was estimated at 0.22 (ages 1–7), and the size of the spawning stock estimated at 103 963 t in 2025. 

Fisheries

Total Norwegian hake landings experienced a near fivefold increase from 2007 to 2016, increasing from 1200 t to 6800 t. Since 2017 catches have gradually decreased and were 2200 t in 2023. Historically the largest part of the hake catches has been taken with bottom trawl gear and setnets. Between 2010 and 2016 bottom trawl catches increased especially south of 62°N, and contributed nearly 90% of total catches. Since then the proportion caught with bottom trawl gear has decreased to approximately 40% in 2023, while in the same period contribution of setnets and Danish seine increased with 22% and 37% respectively.

North of 62°N, off Møre and Romsdal, hake is primarily caught with bottom nets (50–90%). Annual catches range between 600 and 1100  t, with the highest landings of 1600 t recorded in 2021, and 764 t caught in 2023.  

Annual Norwegian landings in the Skagerrak are usually below 100 t, and in 2024 total landings amounted to 24 t.

Links to publications:

• Genetic variation 
• Reproductive indices
• Spatial dynamics