Two exploitation units (North and South) of Hake (Merluccius merluccius) are assessed in the ICES
Working Group of Hake, Monk and Megrim. In ICES Divisions VIIIc and IXa, Portuguese and
Spanish ships captured this species mainly in mixed bottom trawl fisheries, but also in long-liners,
gill net or in artesanal fleets. As far now, discard data are not used in the assessment of this species,
though they are considered significantly high for younger ages. Discards data are available for
Spanish trawlers for 1993, 1994, 1997, and the period from 1999 to 2001.This current paper shows
available data of discards for Spanish Southern hake stock (Divisions VIIIc and IXa) as well as to
present the sample level for the different periods. Some estimations on discard rate in number and
in weight are also showed. Most of the results were obtained by different EU funded research
projects. Several problems related to the raising method are discussed. Finally, the possibilities and
difficulties to use discard data in stock assessment are numbered
