NAMIBIA’S fishing sector continues to swim against the tide with landings remaining weak, the latest statistics from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources show.
Total fish landings remained virtually unchanged at 106,1 thousand tonnes during the second quarter of 2010, when compared with the previous quarter. However, when compared with the same quarter of the preceding year when 122,9 thousand tonnes of fish was caught total landings are down by some 13,6 per cent. Similarly, when one compares the first six months of 2010 with the first six months of 2009, total fish landings were down by 11,5 per cent.An analysis of fishing landings by species reveals that hake landings declined by 47,8 per cent and by 45,4 per cent quarter-on-quarter and on an annual basis, respectively. ‘The decline in hake landings maybe attributed to the ongoing weakness in economic activity in major hake consuming companies,’ Bank Windhoek economist John Steytler said when he released the figures on Friday. On the other hand, horse mackerel, which is mainly destined for the lower income African markets, recorded an increase of 17,3 per cent and 15,7 per cent during the same period, he said.Steytler said that while there are encouraging signs of a recovery in fish stocks, the near term outlook of the fishing sector does not look too promising. ‘Although the price of diesel, one of the main operational expenditure items in the fishing industry, is relatively favourable, the ongoing weaknesses in major fishing consuming countries, coupled with a strong exchange rate of the Namibia dollar with respect to the euro makes it difficult for local fish producing companies to operate at an optimal level.’Steytler said the fishing industry is one of the important economic sectors in Namibia, not only in terms of its contribution to total gross domestic produce, but it is also a major provider of employment in a country where the unofficial unemployment rate is said to be 51 per cent. Moreover, Namibia is seen is one of the leading fish producing companies in the world, not only in terms of total output, but also best practices in terms of fish management, he said. ‘This notwithstanding, the fishing sector is quite vulnerable to the vagaries of a unpredictable external environment, including unpredictable oceanic conditions and volatile exchange rate and crude oil price movement. In addition, the economic conditions in major fish consuming countries may also from time to time have adverse effects on the local fishing industry,’ Steytler said.
