THE HAKE FISHERIES OFF THE WEST COAST OF CHILE 



By Erik M. Poulsen 



International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries 

 St. Andrews, N.B., Canada 



Since 1945 there has occurred a tremendous development of the 

 hake fishery in the Pacific along the coast of Chile. The catch of 1945 

 totalled only 11,000 tons, whereas in 1951 it was 44,000 tons or four 

 times as big. 



This big increase was mainly achieved through a change in the 

 methods of fishing. Whereas formerly hake fishery was only carried 

 out by Chilean fishermen working from small boats with nets or hooks, 

 in later years German fishing vessels have been called in carrying out a 

 modern fishery with trawls in order that the increased demand for hake 

 by the fish meal plants could be met. 



This intense trawl fishing, until then unknown in Chile, caused 

 great concern not only among the Chilean fishermen, but also with the 

 Chilean fishery authorities. 



Therefore, when I for half a year in 1951-52 worked as a fishery 

 expert in Chile, for FAO and the Chilean Government, I was asked 

 to pay special attention to the fishery for hake, Merluccius (Spanish 

 Merluza or pescada) and especially to provide for an assessment of the 

 stock of hake, to investigate if there were reasons for fear of overfishing. 



It was by then known that two species of hake occurred in Chilean 

 waters, Merluccius gayi and M. australis. Their areas of distribution 

 were however not known, nor was it known if one only or both species 

 were affected by the newly established trawl fishery. In the following 

 the term "hake" is used for M. gayi whereas the M. australis is named 

 "southern hake." 



The two species are very much alike. However, it was found that 

 the number of gill rakers on the lower arm of the first gill arch was 

 different, varying in the hake between 14-17 and in the southern hake 

 between 9-10. No overlapping in numbers was found. 



The experimental trawlings carried out showed that the hake was 

 found only north of Corral and the southern hake only in the area 

 south of Puerto Montt and in the southern archipelago. It is possible 

 that a small overlapping of their areas occurs between Puerto Montt 



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