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Namibia: Fishing Revenue Expected to Go Up
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New Era (Windhoek)
11 April 2008
Posted to the web 11 April 2008
Petronella Sibeene
Windhoek
Estimated revenue of over N$55 million will be generated if the 2008/9 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for hake, monkfish and orange roughy are caught.
Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Dr Abraham Iyambo, announced in Cabinet that the TAC for hake during the 2008/9 period will remain as that of last year at 130000 tonnes. This has revenue generation capacity of N$47 million.
TAC for monkfish during the same period stands at 9000 and will contribute N$6.75 million to government coffers.
In the same way, the allocated 900 tonnes of orange roughy will bring in revenue totalling to N$1.35 million.
Iyambo said fish prices remain high in the international market. As such, Namibian fish is likely to bring in good profits.
The fishing season for the three species starts on May 1 to April 30 next year. However, October will be a closed season for hake fishing.
The fisheries minister said the condition for hake stocks is still critical in the seas. Scientific findings reveal the total biomass index of hake has increased by 34 percent from 701000 to 936000 since last year February. The increase in biomass is attributed to huge increase in the fishable part of the stock, particularly Cape hake.
Iyambo urged his staff to monitor the 2006 management recommendations which provide for the restriction of freezer fishing vessels to a minimum trawling depth of 350 metres, a minimum depth of 200 metres for wet-fish trawling vessels and long line fishing vessels.
Unlike hake, monkfish represents healthy stocks estimated to be at a minimum sustainable yield.
Iyambo said there is a lot of small monkfish, an indication of good recruitment.
Meanwhile, Namibia will next month host the SADC Marine Fisheries Minister's Conference.
To be attended by SADC Ministers of Fisheries and other prominent figures in the fisheries arena, the conference will ponder on the persistent issue of illegal, unregulated, unreported (IUU) fishing.
IUU is regarded as the greatest threat to sustainability of fisheries resources in high seas.
Experts say global warming and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing are the main threats to the world's fish species.
Currently, IUU is regarded a lucrative business. It is estimated that global IUU catches are in several billion US dollars per year.
The impact of IUU fishing on the economies of SADC region will also form part of the discussions during the conference.
Other issues to be discussed will be on the nature of fishery resources in SADC and ways to build on the work developed in the global IUU Monitoring network.
"It is anticipated that the conference will strengthen fisheries governance at the national and international levels," the minister said.
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The conference is scheduled for May 20 to 22, 2008.
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