Hoki

1. What is it?

Hoki (Engraulis encrasicolus) is a deep-sea white fish found mainly around New Zealand and southern Australia. It's appearance is long and silver-blue in colour. In New Zealand, there are two distinctive stocks, Western and Eastern stock.

2. How was it caught or farmed?

Hoki are fished using mid-water trawls. These nets are very large with a minimum mesh size of 100mm when stretched to maximum size. Trawling takes place in the pelagic zone between the seabed and the surface of the sea, and the net is dragged through the water with minimal contact with the seabed. As a result, there is very little impact on the benthic habitat or species other than the occasional bottom contact. Mid-water trawls tend to target large schools of fish of the same species, so bycatch tends to be a relatively small portion of the total catch. For some vulnerable species such as sharks, sunfish and seals, however, the number of individuals caught might be significant enough to affect population levels.

Bycatch of non-target species is low; however, ETP interactions include two bird species: southern Buller’s albatross and Salvin’s albatross and protected New Zealand fur seals. The mortality due to discarding in the fishery is at the level of 8%, but this data should be treated with caution, given the information on unreported discards in the past.

Bycatch of non-target species is low; however, ETP interactions include two bird species: southern Buller’s albatross and Salvin’s albatross and protected New Zealand fur seals. The mortality due to discarding in the fishery is at the level of 8% but this data should be treated with caution, given the information on unreported discards in the past.

Hoki are mainly a targeted commercial fish species caught using demersal trawls. In demersal trawling, a large net with heavy doors and ground gear is dragged along or just above the seabed to catch Hoki schooling near the bottom, usually at depths of about 200–800 metres and sometimes deeper than 1,000 metres. Although Hoki are the intended catch, other species such as hake, squid, sharks, and juvenile fish can be caught as bycatch. Bottom trawling can damage seabed habitats, disturb sediments, and affect vulnerable organisms like corals and sponges. Demersal trawling generally has greater environmental impacts because it directly contacts the ocean floor.

Bycatch of non-target species is relatively high; the fishery may impact some ETP populations, including two bird species: southern Buller’s albatross and Salvin’s albatross and protected New Zealand fur seals. The value of mortality due to discarding is not known but it is proven that the discard and by-catch levels increase with depth.

3.Where is it from?

Hoki are caught in New Zealand, with major fisheries on the Chatham Rise, Campbell Plateau, along the West Coast of the South Island, and in Cook Strait (FAO 81). The Hoki trawl fishery is currently managed as two distinct stocks under a single total allowable commercial catch (TACC) for the eastern and western stocks. TACC is divided between the eastern and western stocks each year via a non-regulatory catch split arrangement. Management is considered to be largely effective for the Eastern stock; however, the Western stock management is assessed as only partly effective.