The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has announced a reduction in the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for hake for the 2026/2027 fishing season, citing declining fish stocks and the need for a precautionary approach to ensure the long-term sustainability of Namibia’s marine resources.
The ministry clarified recent announcements regarding Cabinet’s decision on fishing quotas, stating that the hake TAC has been reduced by 17,000 metric tonnes from 133,000 MT to 116,000 MT, representing a 13 percent decrease. Meanwhile, the TAC for rock lobster will remain unchanged at 180 MT.
According to the ministry, the decision forms part of broader efforts to safeguard fish stocks while advancing government objectives aimed at increasing local value addition, employment creation and economic benefits from the fisheries sector. The ministry will continue consultations as it works towards the long-term goal of achieving 100 percent wet fish allocation.
The policy is intended to encourage greater fish landings, strengthen shore-based fish processing activities, stimulate investment in local processing facilities and maximise employment opportunities for Namibians throughout the fisheries value chain. The ministry further announced that fishing right holders whose rights expire during the 2026/2027 fishing season will receive prorated quota allocations based on the remaining validity period of their rights. Any balance of potential allocations will depend on the outcome of the ongoing fishing rights evaluation process.
The season is also marked by a significant number of fishing rights set to expire on 31 December 2026 and 31 May 2027. The ministry said substantial progress has been made in evaluating the affected rights and expressed confidence that the process will be concluded before the expiry dates, with outcomes communicated to the respective right holders.
Officials appealed to the fishing industry for patience and understanding as authorities balance the challenges posed by declining fish stocks with the need to ensure a transparent, fair and legally compliant allocation process. In light of the current outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and its potential impact on meat supplies, the ministry has also encouraged the fishing industry to increase the supply of fish to the domestic market.
It noted that fish remains an important and nutritious alternative source of animal protein, particularly when the availability of other protein sources may be constrained.
By Rudi Bowe
