HAKE FISHERIES OFF THE WEST COAST OF CHILE 245 



In order to protect the Chilean fishery conducted by smaller craft 

 with nets and lines, it was further recommended that trawlfishing should 

 be prohibited in certain coastal areas especially fished in by these smaller 

 craft. 



The present ground trawlfishing for hake in Chilean w^aters is 

 carried out only on the tiny patches of smooth bottom occurring in a 

 few places over the whole area and at day time only when the sunlight 

 causes the hake to concentrate at the bottom. The danger of overfish- 

 ing of the hake through this fishery therefore hardly exists. 



A real danger to the hake stock can, however, be expected the mo- 

 ment the modern midwater trawling is introduced in Chilean waters, 

 making it possible for the fishing vessels to pursue the hake not only in 

 the short periods when it is concentrated on the bottom but also dur- 

 ing the diurnal migrations away from the bottom as w^ell as during its 

 seasonal migrations away from the coastal grounds, i.e. during the whole 

 of its life. 



In order to meet such a danger in the right way, a thorough knowl- 

 edge of the biology of the hake is an absolute necessity. The report 

 on the investigations therefore also contained a plan for further re- 

 searches aiming at such a complete knowledge to form the basis for 

 the judgement of what regulations of the fishery should and must be 

 introduced in order to conserve the stock and maintain the fishery at its 

 highest possible level. 



