Govt holds its line on fish measures, urges industry to help find solutions

MEASURES aimed at preserving Namibia’s fish stocks are to stay in place for now, Minister of Fisheries and Marines Resources, Dr Abraham Iyambo, said on Friday.

The measures were implemented last year. In his annual address to the fishing industry, the Minister said the total allowable catch (TAC) for horse mackerel was likely to be reduced from 360 000 tons to 300 000 tons this season.The remaining 60 000 tons will be held back pending the results of a survey starting this week.Hard times for the pilchard industry will probably continue, although the TAC allocation will depend on the results of a stock survey to be conducted next month.”I believe that we should accept short-lived pain to get long-term gains,” Iyambo said, referring to the preservation measures.”For this reason, consideration should be given to implementing a two-month closure to allow small fish to grow.”Other measures that will most likely continue include the possibility of demarcating and closing nursery areas.Iyambo called for open discussions with members of the industry to find a win-win solution to current difficulties.”I don’t want to plan for you, I want to plan with you,” he urged.The impact of long-liners on the spawning biomass would be evaluated, as long-liners catch bigger fish than trawlers and bigger fish produce more eggs.The mesh size for hake trawlers may be increased from 110 millimetres to 120 or 130 millimetres to give smaller fish a chance to escape.In addition, the allocation ratio for wet and freezer quotas will be reassessed.The Ministry is concerned about attempts by some vessel operators to put the lid on whistle-blowing crew members, Iyambo said.Cabinet will now review the Marine Resources Act to ensure the protection of those who report non-compliance with fisheries legislation.The orange roughy stock is still low and a survey report will be presented to the Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC) on Wednesday.Monk stocks were now healthier, and were estimated to be around the maximum sustainable yield level.Catch per unit effort (CPUE) of crab stock has remained stable for the last decade, but rock lobster have moved towards deeper, better-oxygenated water, making it less likely to catch them in traps.Iyambo noted that the industry caught bigger fish towards the end of the last season, which translated into better prices.Monk in particular had improved drastically, according to Iyambo.The final value of landings increased from N$3,7 billion in 2005 to about N$3,9 billion last year.”This is mainly attributed to value addition activities,” Iyambo said.Though moderate warming of the sea occurred last summer, there had been no major environmental anomalies since 2000.A report on a hake survey conducted earlier this year will also be submitted to the MRAC on Wednesday.According to the Minister, an estimated 220 000 tons of small hake was consumed by seals in 2005.Further, cannibalism had been reported among hake, but still had to be quantified, while the large number of jellyfish, which destroy fish eggs and larvae, was concerning.Sharks and skates represented a potential resource for Namibia that was currently unexploited.This information was gathered on a joint Namibian-Spanish survey on the vessel RV Visconde de Eza.A final analysis still has to be completed.The Minister also noted that Cabinet had resolved that all outstanding quota fees for the period between 2000 and 2004 must be paid in full by June 29.Fees for quotas, landings, by-catches, observers and uncaught quota percentages are also being reviewed.In his annual address to the fishing industry, the Minister said the total allowable catch (TAC) for horse mackerel was likely to be reduced from 360 000 tons to 300 000 tons this season.The remaining 60 000 tons will be held back pending the results of a survey starting this week.Hard times for the pilchard industry will probably continue, although the TAC allocation will depend on the results of a stock survey to be conducted next month.”I believe that we should accept short-lived pain to get long-term gains,” Iyambo said, referring to the preservation measures.”For this reason, consideration should be given to implementing a two-month closure to allow small fish to grow.”Other measures that will most likely continue include the possibility of demarcating and closing nursery areas.Iyambo called for open discussions with members of the industry to find a win-win solution to current difficulties.”I don’t want to plan for you, I want to plan with you,” he urged.The impact of long-liners on the spawning biomass would be evaluated, as long-liners catch bigger fish than trawlers and bigger fish produce more eggs.The mesh size for hake trawlers may be increased from 110 millimetres to 120 or 130 millimetres to give smaller fish a chance to escape.In addition, the allocation ratio for wet and freezer quotas will be reassessed.The Ministry is concerned about attempts by some vessel operators to put the lid on whistle-blowing crew members, Iyambo said.Cabinet will now review the Marine Resources Act to ensure the protection of those who report non-compliance with fisheries legislation.The orange roughy stock is still low and a survey report will be presented to the Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC) on Wednesday.Monk stocks were now healthier, and were estimated to be around the maximum sustainable yield level.Catch per unit effort (CPUE) of crab stock has remained stable for the last decade, but rock lobster have moved towards deeper, better-oxygenated water, making it less likely to catch them in traps.Iyambo noted that the industry caught bigger fish towards the end of the last season, which translated into better prices.Monk in particular had improved drastically, according to Iyambo.The final value of landings increased from N$3,7 billion in 2005 to about N$3,9 billion last year.”This is mainly attributed to value addition activities,” Iyambo said.Though moderate warming of the sea occurred last summer, there had been no major environmental anomalies since 2000.A report on a hake survey conducted earlier this year will also be submitted to the MRAC on Wednesday.According to the Minister, an estimated 220 000 tons of small hake was consumed by seals in 2005.Further, cannibalism had been reported among hake, but still had to be quantified, while the large number of jellyfish, which destroy fish eggs and larvae, was concerning.Sharks and skates represented a potential resource for Namibia that was currently unexploited.This information was gathered on a joint Namibian-Spanish survey on the vessel RV Visconde de Eza.A final analysis still has to be completed.The Minister also noted that Cabinet had resolved that all outstanding quota fees for the period between 2000 and 2004 must be paid in full by June 29.Fees for quotas, landings, by-catches, observers and uncaught quota percentages are also being reviewed.