Cape hake

South African Cape hake stocks are above target levels, and fishing pressure seems to be within sustainable limits. There is no concern for biomass or fishing pressure.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of a reference point for fishing pressure. Cape hakes are considered to have low resilience.There are two species of Cape hake in southern Africa: deep-water and shallow-water. They are caught and managed together as it is difficult to distinguish between them. Deep-water Cape hake is mostly found between 200m and 800m deep, while shallow-water Cape hake is usually 100-300m.The South African Cape hake fishery began in the early 1900s. It initially targeted shallow-water hake, and then moved deeper and further offshore. Catches peaked at 300,000t in the early 1970s, but have since stabilised at around 140,000t -150,000. In the past ten years, most of the total catch (80%) has been deep-water hake, although composition varies by depth and location.Annual stock assessments are carried out by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF). The most recent assessment was published in 2022 using data up to 2022.The biomass of the female spawning population (Bsp) of shallow water hake was below levels associated with Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) in the 1960s, while the Bsp of deep water hake was below BMSY during the 1970s and 80s. The introduction of new management measures resulted in stock recovery and both species are now some way above MSY. Deep water hake is 50% above, while shallow water hake is 181% above. Therefore, there is no concern for biomass.A reference point for fishing pressure has not been developed. However, there are catch limits (set at 160,000 tonnes for 2019-2022) based on the stock status. The limits on fishing pressure have been effective at recovering the stocks and maintaining them above target levels. Therefore, there is no concern for fishing pressure.Cape hake is also found and caught in Namibian waters, and it is unclear how closely the stocks are linked.

Management of this fishery appears to be effective and responsive, and has successfully recovered the stocks from a poor state.The South African Cape hake trawl fishery has been Marine Stewardship Council certified since 2006. The certified fleet accounts for around 90% of the catch. Certification is conditional on improving the stock assessment to account for links to the Namibian stock. There are also requirements to improve the monitoring and mitigation of impacts on vulnerable species.There are two species of Cape hake in southern Africa: deep-water and shallow-water. They are caught and managed together as it is difficult to distinguish between them, although separate stock assessments are carried out for each species. Deep-water Cape hake is mostly found between 200m and 800m deep, while shallow-water Cape hake is usually 100-300m. The main management measure in the South African Cape hake fishery is an Operational Management Procedure (OMP).During the 1970s there were significant concerns about the poor stock status of the Cape hakes, and a number of management measures were introduced. These included a 200 nautical mile exclusion zone for international vessels and catch limits and minimum mesh sizes for domestic fleets. The target to rebuild the stocks to a biomass associated with Maximum Sustainable Yield (BMSY) was achieved for both species by the 1990s.The first Operational Management Procedure (OMP) was developed in 1990. It included harvest control rules for deciding catch limits based on stock status. The OMP is revised every 4 years, and is supported by biennial stock assessments. Deep water Cape hake declined again to below BMSY in the early 2000s, and the OMP led to catch reductions for both species until the deep water hake had recovered. During the 2010s, projections indicted that deep water hake was experiencing low reproductive rates that would cause the stock to decline, and again the OMP accounted for this when producing catch advice.Both species are now well above BMSY, indicating that management has been appropriate and effective, and has followed scientific advice.The latest OMP, reviewed in 2018, includes the following measures:Annual Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for 2019 and 2020 is 146,431 tonnes. It will be updated for 2021 and 2022 following the updated stock assessment, and will be the combined catch recommendation for each species. TACs cannot exceed 160,000t in any one year.TACs can increase by up to 10% or decrease by up to 5% each year. If deep water Cape hake shows a large decline, TACs can decrease by more than 5%.If shallow water Cape hake declines below a threshold, additional measures can be brought in to reduce catches in the shallow water fishery.TACs are split between the different gear types, with a certain amount removed to account for bycatch in the horse mackerel fishery.South Africa has committed to an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, and all hake permits contain requirements to minimise ecosystem impacts, e.g. with regard to bycatch and habitats.The deep water hake stock extends into Namibia, but the two fisheries are currently assessed and managed separately. The issue of transboundary stocks should be addressed by the Benguela Current Commission (BCC), a multi-sectoral inter-governmental, initiative of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. However, progress has been slow so far.

Most South African Cape hake is caught by otter trawls, which are likely to cause some damage to the seabed. Bycatch is moderate and may include vulnerable species. In this area there are particular concerns about the bycatch of silver kob.Around 94% of South African Cape hake catches are by trawlers. Most of the rest is caught by longline, with a very small amount by handline. Most trawling (around 91% of total catches and 97% of trawled catches) takes place offshore in deeper waters below 300m.The South African Cape hake trawl fishery has been Marine Stewardship Council certified since 2006. The certified fleet accounts for around 90% of the total catch. Certification is conditional on improving monitoring and mitigation of impacts on vulnerable habitats and species.Demersal trawls have contact with the seabed, resulting in penetration and abrasion of habitat features. The impact of trawling on the seabed depends on the where trawling happens, and on what scale. For example, habitats that are used to natural disturbance through tides and waves are less sensitive to impacts. Areas not used to mobile towed gears are typically more sensitive.The footprint of the trawl fishery was mapped in 2007, and a project in 2011 mapped South Africa's marine habitats. Based on this, Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) including cold water corals, sea pens, and sponges are known to occur within the trawled areas. VMEs can take a long time to recover after being trawled. Some areas are closed to trawling, e.g. through Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Around 5% of South African waters are protected from trawling. However, some VMEs occur outside of these areas and work is underway to map the gaps in the MPA network. There is also a benthic trawl experiment to understand the impacts of trawling on the seabed.Trawling has been voluntarily 'ring-fenced' since 2008, preventing expansion into new areas. Since 2015 it has been a legal requirement to only trawl within the existing fishery footprint. There are also some gear restrictions: beam and twin trawling is banned inshore and there are limits on the weight of gear that can be used offshore. There are some voluntary commitments to move-on rules, whereby a vessel relocates if VME species are recorded in the hauls, but this does not appear to be enforced. Therefore, while a number of measures are in place, some vulnerable habitats may remain at risk from trawling.Demersal otter trawls have the potential to take relatively high quantities of bycatch. Hake accounts for 84% of the total catch in the fishery, indicating a bycatch rate of 16%. Observer coverage of the fleet is around 15-20%, but most of this is focussed on the deep-water fishery. Coverage of the inshore fishery is poor. Data on species caught and discarded at sea is also poor.Fish bycatch includes silver kob, which collapsed previously. In 2017 it was estimated to be subject to overfishing and in a depleted state, at just 10% of its unfished biomass. The trawl fleet is responsible for around 20% of catches, and the inshore fleet fishes in nursery grounds which is reported to be inhibiting rebuilding. There is a move on rule if kob is more than 2% of the total catch, and a requirement for the inshore fleet to reduce catches to 80% of the 1998-20002 average. Implementation of catch reductions has not been monitored. The fishery is likely to be preventing species recovery.Shark, skate and ray bycatch includes the critically endangered soupfin shark. The primary source of fishing mortality on this species is the line fishery, followed by the trawl fishery. Smoothhounds are also caught, and the population is declining in South Africa. There are also concerns about skates and rays being caught inshore. There is a National Plan of Action for sharks to improve species identification, fishery monitoring, and mitigation. The fishery could be contributing to species decline or preventing recovery.Seabirds are killed in trawl fisheries by colliding with trawl warps, or being caught in nets. Estimated mortality was reduced from 18,000 birds annually in 2005 to 990 birds in 2010 following the introduction of tori (bird scaring) lines and decreases in fishing effort. Seabird mitigations are required in the offshore fishery, including tori lines, management of offal discharge and changing the grease on trawl warps to one that is not attractive to seabirds. Tori lines are not required inshore, and there is less data about seabird mortality for that part of the fishery. Interactions include a number of endangered and critically endangered albatrosses, although these species are generally more heavily affected by longline fisheries. The fishery has the potential to contribute to species decline or preventing recovery.There is not enough data to assess the impact of this fishery on cetaceans. In trawling in South Africa more generally, a number of dolphin species have been bycaught.

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