The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR) is exploring a range of enhanced compliance mechanisms to curb the deliberate targeting of pilchard under the guise of bycatch. These include revising the existing moratorium and bycatch limits, adjusting the landed value of species to reduce financial incentives, enhancing monitoring and surveillance systems, introducing stricter penalties for non-compliance, and conducting targeted stock assessments to accurately determine pilchard biomass.
Delivering a ministerial statement in the National Assembly, MAFLR Minister Inge Zaamwani reaffirmed that no legal targeted pilchard fishing is currently permitted due to a moratorium imposed in 2018. This decision followed three consecutive years of zero biomass, indicating critically low stock levels. The moratorium remains essential to allow pilchard populations to recover to sustainable levels.
“It is reasonable to state that current enforcement measures and associated penalties are proving insufficient to deter illegal fishing of pilchard. The Ministry is, therefore, anctive exploring a range of measures to enhance compliance within our fisheries subsector,” she said.
She further explained that recent surveys estimate the pilchard stock at 850,000 metric tonnes, a positive trend, but still below the sustainable biomass target of one million metric tonnes. Pilchards, being short-lived and sensitive to environmental factors, require careful management to prevent setbacks in recovery efforts.
The Ministry acknowledged public concern over increasing pilchard bycatch and noted that while vessels are directed to relocate when high pilchard bycatch is observed, some operators may be deliberately targeting the species. These actions pose a serious threat to recovery efforts.
“The observable increase in pilchard landings offers reasonable grounds to suggest that this bycatch may not always be unintentional, but rather a deliberate act. This directly impacts the recovery efforts for this crucial species, and we have expressly communicated this to the Fishing Industry,” she said
Minister Zaamwani called on all stakeholders in the fishing industry to support these initiatives, emphasising that the Ministry remains fully committed to sustainable fisheries management and the protection of Namibia’s marine ecosystem.
“The success of our recovery efforts depends on collective responsibility and compliance,we will continue to monitor, enforce, and adapt our measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of pilchard stocks in our waters.”
