By the Journal of Commerce

Pacific hake, also known as Pacific whiting, has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as a fishery that is managed in a responsible, sustainable manner.

The mid-water trawl fishery, considered the largest by volume of all West Coast commercial fisheries, is conducted in federal waters that extend out to 200 miles off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California.

Hake is processed for international markets into fillets, fish sticks and other value-added products. It also is used in surimi, a fish-based food product intended to mimic the texture and color of lobster, crab and other shellfish.

MSC, based in London, oversees a fishery certification program aimed at promoting sustainable fisheries worldwide. Certification of the Pacific hake came after a comprehensive two-year scientific assessment of the fishery by a team of independent fisheries scientists.

Jan Jacobs, president of the Pacific Whiting Conservation Cooperative, said in a written statement that the MSC certification announced on Oct. 16 reaffirms that the Pacific Fishery Management Council and National Marine Fisheries Service manage this fishery responsibly.

Certification also is a reflection of an industry that promotes and supports regulatory actions that ensure healthy fishery stocks, Jacobs said.

The conservation cooperative was formed in 1997 to promote rational harvesting and to minimize effects of fishing on the environment. Its members include American Seafoods Co., Glacier Fish Co., and Trident Seafoods Corp.