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Hake

Hake

Hake

At a glance

	Eco-rating	Mercury	Omega-3s
+-Red hake (US)	OK	Moderate
MORE ABOUT RED HAKE A relative of the cod, red hake is a mottled reddish to olive brown color, with a pale belly. It reaches up to 1.5 feet (0.5 meter) in length. Red hake inhabit soft muddy and sandy bottoms; juveniles live inside of scallop shells, and remain close to scallop beds until they mature. Commercial Sources Red hake are found in the western North Atlantic, from southern Nova Scotia in Canada to North Carolina. The main sources of red hake are the United States and Spain. Capture Methods Red hake come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with bottom trawls. Additional types of fishing gear include pots, traps, gillnets and seines.
+-Silver hake (US)	OK	Moderate
MORE ABOUT SILVER HAKE Silver hake is a medium-sized relative of the cod that grows up to 2.5 feet (0.8 meters) in length and lives in shallow, sandy-bottomed waters. It is a voracious predator, known to occasionally attack and eat its own kind. Commercial Sources Silver hake are found in the western North Atlantic, from the Bell Isle Channel in Canada to the Bahamas but are most common from southern Newfoundland to South Carolina. The main sources of silver hake are the United States, Canada and Cuba. Capture Methods Silver hake come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with bottom trawls. Additional types of fishing gear include gillnets and seines.
+-White hake (US)	OK	Moderate
MORE ABOUT WHITE HAKE A relative of the cod, white hake has a dark back, with a lighter belly ranging from dirty to yellow white. It can reach 3.5 feet (1.1 meters) in length. White hake lives along the ocean bottom on the continental shelf. Commercial Sources White hake are found in the western North Atlantic, from Labrador and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to North Carolina. The main sources of white hake are Canada and the United States. Capture Methods White hake come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with bottom trawls and gillnets. Additional types of fishing gear include hooks-and-lines.
+-White hake (Canada)	Worst	Moderate
MORE ABOUT WHITE HAKE A relative of the cod, white hake has a dark back, with a lighter belly ranging from dirty to yellow white. It can reach 3.5 feet (1.1 meters) in length. White hake lives along the ocean bottom on the continental shelf. Commercial Sources White hake are found in the western North Atlantic, from Labrador and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to North Carolina. The main sources of white hake are Canada and the United States. Capture Methods White hake come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with bottom trawls and gillnets. Additional types of fishing gear include hooks-and-lines.
+-Argentine hake	Unrated	Moderate
More about Argentine hake A relative of the cod, Argentine hake lives in the southwestern Atlantic waters, in shallow water along the continental shelf. This silvery-golden fish can reach nearly 3 feet (0.9 meter) in length. Commercial Sources Argentine hake are found in the western South Atlantic, from southern Brazil to the Falkland-Malvinas Islands in Argentina. The main source of Argentine hake is Argentina. Argentine hake sold in the U.S. market are primarily from Argentina and Uruguay. Capture Methods Argentine hake come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with trawls.
+-Cape hake	Unrated	Moderate
More about Cape hake Cape hake, a relative of the cod, inhabits relatively shallow waters along the ocean shelf. It may reach 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) in length and is drawn to relatively cool waters. Commercial Sources Cape hake are found in the eastern South Atlantic, from Angola to South Africa. They also occur on the Valdivia Bank in the South Atlantic, off Antarctica. The main sources of Cape hake are South Africa and Namibia. Capture Methods Cape hake come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with purse seines and trawls.
+-Chilean hake	Unrated	Moderate
MORE ABOUT CHILEAN HAKE A silvery fish with a whitish belly, the Chilean or South Pacific hake lives close to the continental shelf to the upper slope. It is a relative of the cod and can reach 2.5 feet (76 cm) in length. Commercial Sources Chilean hake are found in the eastern South Pacific off the coast of Chile. The main sources of Chilean hake are Chile and Peru. Capture Methods Chilean hake come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with purse seines and trawls.
+-Hoki	Unrated	Moderate
MORE ABOUT HOKI The sleek blue-green and silver Hoki usually stays close to the ocean bottom, moving to deeper levels as it matures. Juveniles, however, may be found in shallower waters, in estuaries and bays and even freshwater. Subtropical fish, Hokis are found in the Southwest Pacific, New Zealand and southern Australia. They can reach 4.3 feet (130 cm) and live up to 25 years. Commercial Sources Hoki are found in the western South Pacific, around New Zealand and southern Australia. The main source of hoki is New Zealand. Capture Methods Hoki come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with trawls.
+-Pacific whiting	Unrated	Moderate
MORE ABOUT PACIFIC WHITING Pacific whiting is a silvery fish with a whitish belly, which can reach nearly 3 feet (0.9 meter) in length. A relative of the cod, it lives both in open ocean and coastal areas, mainly near the continental shelf. This fish is important prey for sea lions and small whales. Commercial Sources Pacific whiting are found in the eastern North Pacific, from northern Vancouver Island in Canada to the northern Gulf of California in Mexico. The main source of Pacific whiting is the United States. Capture Methods Pacific whiting come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with bottom and midwater trawls.

Recommended servings per month

	Contaminant	Men	Women	Kids 6-12	Kids 0-5
Argentine hake	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	3
Cape hake	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	3
Chilean hake	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	3
Red hake (US)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	3
Silver hake (US)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	3
White hake (US)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	3
Hoki	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	3
Pacific whiting	Mercury	4+	4+	4	3
White hake (Canada)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	3

Eco details:

Hake is a relative of cod and is usually caught by gillnets or bottom trawling. This can sometimes result in bycatch and damage to seafloor habitats.
In New England, hake are now caught under an innovative new ‘sector’ management plan. Discards in the fishery have dramatically decreased, sector fishermen stayed under their catch limits for all groundfish species, and less gear was deployed compared to previous years.