Cabinet has approved a total allowable catch of 10 000 metric tonnes of pilchards for government objectives for the remainder of the 2025 fishing season.
This was said by minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus in a statement on Thursday regarding Cabinet decisions taken at the 14th Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday.
“Cabinet further approved the moratorium to be put in place for at least three consecutive years, until the pilchard biomass reaches one million metric tonnes, to increase the possibility of sustainable spawner biomass,” says Theofelus.
The minister says Cabinet also approved the total allowable catch (TAC) to be allocated to a company or companies with processing facilities, using environmentally friendly fishing methods, and that the fishery caught under this TAC be processed locally.
This directive comes as good news to the Small Pelagic Industry Association that has slammed the illegal harvesting of pilchards by horse mackerel vessels, warning that Namibia’s remaining pilchard processors are at risk of collapsing.
Three land-based canneries — Etosha Fishing, Princess Brand and Gendev — that can employ more than 1 300 people, are battling to stay afloat because of a government-moratorium since 2015.
Workers of Etosha Fishing held a demonstration this week to bring their plight to the attention of the government as they claim they have sunk deeper into poverty because the company cannot afford to pay them decent salaries as they cannot get enough fishing quotas for the processing plant.
Ironically, media reports say some horse mackerel and hake fishing vessels have landed pilchards worth N$23 million as a by-catch between April and June this year.
Theofelus further says Cabinet took note of the urgent need to complete phase two of the Calueque Permanent Pump Station and that additional funding was required to complete the project.
“Cabinet approved the withdrawal of funds from the Technical Committee of Experts Account to fund the completion of phase two of the Calueque project.
“The Namibia Water Corporation is to enter into the necessary service contract with the appointed contractor to execute phase two of the Calueque Permanent Pump Station Project,” she adds.
– email: matthew@namibian.com.na
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