A preliminary report of Pacific hake studies conducted off the west coast of Vancouver Island / by R.J. Beamish.: Fs97-4/1610E-PDF

"Small concentrations of Pacific hake were found in the Canadian zone as early as May and as late as November, 1979. Commercial quantities were observed from June until November and a review of the commercial fishery suggests that a hake fishery could be sustained for 4-6 mo annually. The population consisted of approximately 70% females that averaged approximately 55 cm (2.5 lb) compared to an average size of 53 cm (2.3 lb) for males. Hake ranged in age from 3-19 yr, however few fish younger than age 6 were found. There was strong evidence of prominent year-classes with the 1970 year-class (age 9) accounting for 26.1% of all fish sampled in 1979. The commercial fishery off the United States is dependent on smaller, younger fish. Only 18% of the fish sampled in 1976 were age 9 or older compared to 53% of the fish in the Canadian fishery that were age 9 or older. The larger individuals of any particular year-class were found in the Canadian zone, indicating the larger fish undergo more extensive migrations and the larger fish tend to migrate into the Canadian zone. Some caution should be exercised in harvesting these older, larger fish until more is known about their role in sustaining recruitment"--Abstract, page iii.

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