European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE: EUROPEAN HAKE EUROPEAN HAKE (MERLUCCIUS MERLUCCIUS) BIOLOGY AND HABITAT • Species description (Read more) The European hake is a slim bodied fish of the genus Merluccius, with a large head and large jaws on which are set a number of large curved teeth. • Geographical distribution and habitat (Read more) The European hake lives in the North-East Atlantic, Eastern-Central Atlantic, and can also be found in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. RESOURCE, EXPLOITATION AND MANAGEMENT • Stocks and resource status/conservation measures (Read more) Minimum conservation size is set at 30 cm in Skagerrak and Kattegat, 20 cm in the Mediterranean Sea, and 27 cm in all the other fishing areas. • Production methods and fishing gears (Read more) The main fishing gears used are gillnets and similar nets, hooks and lines, and trawls. Source : Information system on commercial designations European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE European hake CATCHES • The share of hake in the global catches is 0,13% (FAO, 2018). • During the last decade (2009 to 2018), catches have significantly increased at both global and EU levels (respectively by 31% and 29%). In 2018, France, Spain and the United Kingdom were the main producers. Together, they produced 70% of the global catches of hake in 2018). Evolution of world catches Others Morocco Italy United Kingdom Spain France 27 Catches (2018, 1.000 tonnes) 24 24 22 7 6 23 1 1 11 8 8 1 21 7 9 6 EU-28 19 9 14 15 7 16 16 16 13 6 4 5 11 13 Morocco 6 4 5 6 10 10 9 13 12 9 40 Norway 8 8 36 39 1.000 tonnes 8 7 35 34 30 Tunisia 30 30 32 33 Albania 41 44 45 45 110 32 40 Others 20 21 26 27 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Source: FAO Evolution of EU catches • In 2018, the EU provided 89% of the global hake catches. Italy United Kingdom Others Spain France 8 8 Catches (2018, 1.000 tonnes) 9 14 15 7 9 4 3 13 13 4 France 10 11 17 16 5 15 Spain 13 12 10 9 9 13 16 8 8 7 8 15 United Kingdom 13 40 39 7 40 13 13 12 35 36 34 Italy 1.000 1.000 tonnes 30 30 30 13 32 33 Others 41 44 45 45 40 Denmark 26 27 32 20 21 34 Greece 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Ireland Source: FAO European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE European hake AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION • There is no aquaculture production of hake in the EU. PROCESSING • There is no significant processing activity of hake in the EU. The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries indicates the existence of frozen industry in Portugal and Spain and filleting activity in Portugal and Slovenia (Source: The Economic Performance of the EU fish Processing Industry, STECF, 2018). European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE European hake TRADE • Combined nomenclature (Read more) EU trade of European hake products (tonnes - 2019) There are no specific trade codes related to the European hake. Data provided in the table below refer to fish categories that include European hake. EU imports EU exports CN code Product 3.213 0 03 02 54 15 Fresh or chilled southern hake "Merluccius australis" fresh or chilled hake "merluccius spp." (excl. cape hake, 03 02 54 19 3.247 1.758 deepwater hake and southern hake) 03 02 54 90 Fresh or chilled hake "Urophycis spp." 6 5 Frozen Cape hake "Merluccius capensis" and deepwater hake 03 03 66 11 17.087 94 "Merluccius paradoxus" 03 03 66 12 Frozen Argentine hake "Merluccius hubbsi" 14.948 34.852 03 03 66 13 Frozen southern hake "Merluccius australis" 5.325 40 03 03 66 19 frozen hake "merluccius spp." (excl. cape hake, deepwater 7.235 2.057 hake, argentine hake and southern hake) 03 03 66 90 Frozen hake "Urophycis spp." 8 65 Frozen fillets of Cape hake "Merluccius capensis" and 03 04 74 11 70.430 300 deepwater hake "Merluccius paradoxus" 03 04 74 15 Frozen fillets of Argentine hake "Merluccius hubbsi" 24.203 251 03 04 74 19 frozen fillets of hake "merluccius spp." (excl. cape hake, 33.953 208 deepwater hake and argentine hake) 03 04 95 50 frozen meat, whether or not minced, of hake "merluccius spp." 12.567 12 (excl. fillets and surimi) 16 04 19 94 Hake "merluccius spp., urophycis spp.", prepared or preserved, 991 463 whole or in pieces (excl. finely minced and fillets, raw, merely coated with batter or breadcrumbs, whether or not pre-fried in oil, frozen) Source: EUROSTAT-COMEXT European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE European hake TRADE • Combined nomenclature (Read more) EU trade of European hake products (tonnes - 2019) Extra-EU imports: Imports from non-EU countries concern mainly frozen hake (whole, in fillets and meat). Main Extra-EU suppliers are: - for frozen hake (whole): South Africa (12.480 tonnes in 2019), Falkland Islands (5.527 tonnes) and Argentina (4.676 tonnes), - for frozen meat (excluding fillets): Namibia (4.865 tonnes), Argentina (2.507 tonnes) and USA (2.265 tonnes), - for frozen fillets of hake: Namibia (52.764 tonnes), USA (21.164 tonnes) and South Africa (17.670 tonnes). Extra-EU exports Extra-EU exports mainly concern frozen whole hake. In 2019, they represented 93% of extra-EU hake exports. Main destinations are: Ukraine (14.992 tonnes), Serbia (4.211 tonnes) and Jordan (2.662 tonnes). Source: EUROSTAT-COMEXT European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE European hake Supply balance EU supply balance (20181) – Tonnes of live weight equivalent2 - Hake: Production data concern the European hake while trade data include other species of hake. Import Production 366.890 tonnes 110.048 tonnes Supply Export 476.938 tonnes 43.524 tonnes Apparent consumption 433.414 tonnes Source: FAO/ EUROSTAT-COMEXT 1 Supply balance is provided for the year 2018 (trade data for 2018 were taken into account). Detailed trade data provided in the slide 4 concern the year 2019. 2 The conversion factors were used to convert net weight of imports and exports of fishery and aquaculture products into live weight equivalents. European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE European hake PRICES ALONG THE SUPPLY CHAIN (EUR/kg) First-sale (fresh) First-sale prices are provided for France, Spain and Denmark, which are among the main EU producers. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source France 2,46 2,51 2,42 2,45 2,31 2,68 2,57 2,63 2,9 2,95 EUMOFA Spain n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 3,99 9,91 4,18 4,22 4,06 EUMOFA UK 1,98 2,21 2,47 2,47 2,94 3,03 2,90 2,81 2,44 2,72 EUMOFA Wholesale (fresh) Wholesale prices are provided for the main wholesale markets in France and Spain. Average price (FR) / 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source Most frequent price (ES) France (Paris) 5,14 4,49 4,6 5,35 4,81 6,54 7,5 9,93 Rungis-RNM Spain (Madrid) 10,59 8,85 8,39 8,39 7,98 8,16 8,82 11,01 Mercamadrid Retail/consumption Retail prices are provided for France, Spain and Italy, the major EU consumers of hake. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source France (whole) 8,22 9,11 10,19 9,91 10 10,55 11,61 10,65 10,67 10,48 EUMOFA Spain (gutted) 12,55 11,8 11,92 12,02 11,94 12,05 12,15 12,15 13,42 n.a. EUMOFA Italy (whole) 10,16 10,1 10,43 12,11 12,3 12,76 9,47 9,92 10,21 10,23 EUMOFA Import (frozen fillets) Extra-EU imports concern mainly frozen fillets. In 2019, main importers were Spain, Italy and Germany. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source Spain 2,87 3,12 3,21 3,15 3,22 3,46 3,50 3,63 3,74 3,79 EUMOFA Italy 3,36 3,54 3,74 3,77 3,65 4,04 4,05 4,14 3,98 4,18 EUMOFA Germany 2,24 2,25 2,47 2,45 2,26 2,51 3,00 3,02 2,82 3,08 EUMOFA Export (frozen whole) Extra-EU exports concern mainly frozen whole hake. In 2019, main exporters were Spain, Portugal and Italy. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source Spain 2,52 2,60 2,62 2,28 2,35 2,84 2,83 2,52 2,55 2,47 EUMOFA Portugal 2,02 2,16 2,32 2,32 2,48 2,65 2,78 2,67 2,58 2,79 EUMOFA Italy 1,74 1,87 2,01 1,82 1,90 1,93 1,91 2,00 2,13 2,25 EUMOFA European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products SPECIES PROFILE European hake MARKETING ASPECTS • Commercial designations in all EU official languages (Read more) • Common marketing standards (Read more) CONSUMPTION • th Hake is the 8 most consumed fish in the EU. Nutritional value Hake Kilo calorie (kcal) 78 • Apparent consumption per capita in 2018: 1 Kilojoule (kJ) 326 kg live weight equivalent (source: The EU Fish Protein (g) 17,5 Market – 2020 edition, EUMOFA) Total lipid (g) 0,88 Carbohydrates (g) 0 • Nutritional value (European hake, Atlantic, cut Calcium (mg) 44 from whole fish, values per 100 g – source : Iron (mg) 0,95 USDA) Sodium (mg) 100 Cholesterol (mg) 20.