Zaamwani warns horse mackerel quotas set for a 10% cut

Fisheries minister Inge Zaamwani has warned horse mackerel rightsholders to brace for a likely 10% cut in their total allowable catch (TAC), as government responds to ongoing scientific warnings about declining fish stocks.


Speaking to rightsholders in Lüderitz on Tuesday, Zaamwani said scientists have for several years cautioned that horse mackerel stocks are under pressure and need careful rebuilding. She emphasised that the decision to reduce the TAC is based on scientific evidence, not short-term economic considerations. A 2024 Horse Mackerel and Small Pelagics Survey by fisheries ministry scientists estimated horse mackerel biomass at around 829 000 tonnes, an 8% decline from 2023. The findings also flagged a low prevalence of mature fish – a key warning sign for stock sustainability and future recruitment.


Zaamwani said Namibia must act decisively in response to the findings. “Cognisant of the decline in biomass, Namibia must start rebuilding it,” she said. “Our scientists have consistently, for the past five years, been telling us to reduce at least by 10% or more,” Zaamwani said. She added that the adjustment would apply across the board, affecting all industry players. “It means that every rightsholder will have to [feel] the pinch. So as we are about to allocate horse mackerel quotas for the next season, there will be a reduction in the quota you received last year because of the decline in biomass we are experiencing,” the minister explained. The minister said the measures are aimed at safeguarding the long-term sustainability of Namibia’s most crucial pelagic fishery while protecting future economic returns and food security.


Catch limits tightened - In recent years, horse mackerel allowable catches have already undergone adjustments. In 2021 and 2022, the TAC was set at about 330 000 metric tonnes, reflecting confidence in stock levels at the time. This was followed by a reduction to around 270 000 tonnes in 2023, a level that was maintained through 2024 despite growing scientific concern about fish stock trends. For the 2025 fishing season, Cabinet approved a further and more pronounced reduction, cutting the TAC to 208 000 tonnes. This represented a reduction of more than 60 000 tonnes from recent levels, signalling a shift from incremental adjustments to decisive, conservation-led action.


Long-term recovery period - Rebuilding horse mackerel biomass typically takes between five and ten years, depending on fishing pressure and environmental conditions, according to international fisheries science and regional assessments of the Benguela Current system. Zaamwani said Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) explicitly acknowledges declining biomass and identifies stock rebuilding as a central objective for her ministry. “We all know there’s evidence everywhere in terms of what you are getting from the sea,” she said. “The sizes of the fish that you are getting from the sea are declining, it is becoming less and more difficult to catch.” The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations notes that horse mackerel species generally reach sexual maturity between two and four years, meaning reduced fishing pressure must be sustained over several spawning cycles before measurable rebuilding occurs.


No choice - Zaamwani said the results from the Annual Stock Assessment Survey compelled her ministry to exercise heightened caution. “This is non-negotiable. What is the alternative? Over-exploitation of the fishery resource will lead to ultimate depletion, job losses and diminishing returns for those that are involved in the industry.” She said government has to balance immediate economic pressures against long-term sustainability, warning that failure to rebuild stocks now would ultimately harm the very livelihoods the sector depends on.


Another target set by NDP6 requires the ministry to ensure an increased industry contribution of N$300 million to gross domestic product. “Currently, the contribution of the fishing industry in its broader sense is N$10.4 billion per annum. NDP6 requires that by 2030, we must increase that contribution to N$10.7 billion,” the minister noted. “Mindful of the challenges, we have been given a moderate additional target of only N$300 million that we must add to the GDP. Where will this money come from? Each one of us, as rightsholders, has to pitch in and contribute,” the minister underlined.


Slight pilchard improvements - Zaamwani also announced that the moratorium on pilchards will remain in place. “The pilchard stock was depleted,” she said. She noted that the ministry recently introduced a small experiment to assess recovery of the pilchard stock. “I am happy to note that based on the results that we have seen so far, the stock is showing marginal signs of improvement, but it definitely cannot be concluded as being on the trajectory of recovery. So we will continue our precautionary approach.”