Hake (Pacific whiting)

Pacific hake, the single largest biomass of fish in the Pacific, are found from the Gulf of Alaska to the Gulf of California. The largest of four major stocks, the "coastal stock" is managed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Pacific whiting was considered an underutilized species until 1991, the first year that the entire quota was caught and processed by the U.S. fishing industry. (Although a small domestic fishery for hake has continued since the late 1800's, beginning in 1966 foreign fleets, and later joint ventures, with foreign processing vessels served by U.S. catcher boats, harvested hake.)

A delicate, white-meated fish, Pacific whiting are now processed into surimi by both sea-going factory trawlers and shoreside processing plants. Surimi, highly refined minced fish, is used in the production of imitation crab, scallop, and shrimp products. Shore-based plants in northern California, Oregon, and Washington process whiting.