FISHING Annual quotas for pilchards between 2008 and 2017 when only 3 400 mt of the quota was landed (the fishing season extends from 1 January to 31 December each year):
YEAR
QUOTA (Mt)
2008
15,000
2009
17,000
2010
25,000
2011
25,000
2012
31,000
2013
25,000
2014
30,000
2015
25,000
2016
14,000
2017
10,000
2018-2020
0
LOBSTER AND DEEP-WATER FISHERIES
The southern coastal town of Lüderitz is the centre of the rock-lobster and deep-water fisheries. The TAC for West Coast rock lobster was reduced from 200 mt for the 2018/19 season to 180 tonnes for the 2019/20 season stretching from 1 November to 30 April. Live lobster is exported to Asian markets. Onshore processing products include frozen whole lobster cooked and uncooked and frozen tail which is exported to Japan and the United States. The TAC for deep-sea red crab remained unchanged at 3 900 tonnes for the 2020 season which stretches from 1 January to 31 December. Products such as claws, legs and crab flakes are exported to Asian markets.
AQUACULTURE
Aquaculture consists of two sub-sectors: fresh-water fisheries and mariculture.
FRESH-WATER FISHERIES
Several inland aquaculture projects aimed at, amongst others, improving food security resort under the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource. These countrywide projects range from hatcheries, government fish-production farms and community-based production farms to demonstration farms and research centres.
MARICULTURE
The mariculture industry is dominated by the cultivation of oysters at Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Lüderitz. Black mussels are cultivated at Walvis Bay, while abalone is cultivated at Lüderitz. Seaweed is processed at Lüderitz for export to the Asian market.
Francois van der Merwe
THE DEMISE OF THE SILVER BOUNTY OF THE SEAS
Albacore and big-eye tuna are caught in the southeast Atlantic between November and May. Quotas for tuna and tuna-like species are determined by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) which is responsible for the management of those species.
NAMIBIA FISH CONSUMPTION PROMOTION TRUST
The Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust is a government agency established in 2001 to promote fish consumption and improve the accessibility and affordability of fish. The trust is awarded an annual hake and horse mackerel quota which is sold at affordable prices at the trust’s outlets throughout the country. Per capita fish consumption in Namibia has increased from 8 kg per person per year in 2016 to 9.5 kg per person in 2019. This is, however, less than 50% of the world average of 20.4 kg per person per year.
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