Chapter

3 TASK I - SECTORAL DEMANDS: PORT FACILITIES

3.1 SECTORAL DEMANDS FOR PORT FACILITIES: FISHING

3.1.1 THE FISH RESOURCE, EXPLOITATION AND POLICY

3.1.1.1 SENSITIVITY OF ANALYSIS

21. In spite of the past overfishing of Namibian fishing resources, and due to the current protection policies after Independence, the long-term recovery to high yields is good. The recovery timing is more predictable and more stable for the longer-lived white fish (demersal) than for the short-lived oily fish (pelagic).

22. The balance between off-shore or shore-based processing is dependent on the development of on-shore infrastructures around any of the potential fishing ports as well as the form in which the fish is landed (frozen or on ice).

3.1.1.2 LIVING MARINE RESOURCES

23. The six major commercial species (pelagic: pilchard, anchovy and juvenile horse mackerel; demersal: hake and horse mackerel; rock lobster; red crab) are fully exploited. Tuna, squid and snoek are under-exploited. Prospects for increased supply lie more with the recovery of the major fish biomass rather than with discovery of unknown fish stocks.

3.1.1.3 PROJECTIONS OF TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCHES

24. Under all scenarios, it is expected that horse mackerel and red crab will sustain their present long-term catch rates (Maximum Sustainable Yields (MSYs)), while hake will fully recover. The expected growth scenario is that the three stocks recover, but MSY is reached only in the last phase of the planning period (years 15-25). It has to be stressed that pilchard might never fully recover, but equally might "explode" at any time to former levels of abundance. The long-term total catch is estimated at 1,4 mt (1991: 0,6 mt TAC, the real annual catch for 1991 was approx. 0,4 mt brutto (wet fish) of which approx. 80% was exported). The projections will be pictured in tables 1 (Estimates of Long-Run Maximum Sustainable Yields For Major Species), 2 and 3.

TABLE 1: ESTIMATES OF LONG-RUN MSYs

Species	Unit	Catch 1991	MSY estimates:
			Study	Policy
Hake	000t	56	300	300-350
Kingklip	000t	0	7	10-15
Monk	000t	5	8
Sole	000t	0	2
Horse mackerel	000t	438	400	300
Chub mackerel	000t	0	40	40
Pilchard	000t	69	400	300-500
Anchovy	000t	17	100	100-200
Snoek	000t	1	20	20
Other white	000t	1	80
Other pelagic	000t	3	40
Sub-total: fish species	000t	590	1397
Rock lobster	t	375	2000	2-3000
Deep water crab	t	2500	6000	6000
Shrimp	000t	0	5
Squid	000t	0	15	10
Total catch	000t	593	1425
Guano	t		4000
Seals culled	000	17	30

TABLE 2: NOMINAL CATCHES OF NAMIBIAN FISH, 1991 - 2015

Catches by species	Unit	1991	Slow growth			Rapid growth			Expected growth			Max. TAC
			1995	2005	2015	1995	2005	2015	1995	2005	2015
Nominal catches: Hake Kingklip Monk Sole Horse mackerel Chub mackerel Pilchard Anchovy Snoek Other white fish Other pelagic	000t 000t 000t 000t 000t 000t 000t 000t 000t 000t 000t	56 0 5 0 438 0 69 17 1 1 3	140 1 5 0 450 10 100 50 3 20 10	250 5 7 1 200 30 150 50 8 50 15	300 7 8 2 200 40 200 50 20 80 20	140 1 5 1 450 10 140 100 5 20 10	300 7 8 2 400 40 400 100 20 60 40	300 7 8 2 400 40 400 100 20 80 40	140 1 5 0 450 10 100 50 3 20 10	250 5 7 1 400 30 150 50 8 50 15	300 7 8 2 400 40 400 100 20 80 40	350 15 15 5 600 50 600 400 40 100 100
Total finfish	000t	590	789	766	927	882	1377	1397	789	966	1397	2275
Rock lobster Red crab Shrimp Squid Other	t t 000t 000t 000t	375 2500 0 0 0	200 2500 0 1 1	500 4000 0 5 1	1000 4000 2 15 1	200 2500 1 5 1	1000 6000 5 15 5	2000 6000 5 15 7	200 2500 0 1 1	1000 4000 3 10 3	2000 6000 5 15 5	3000 8000 10 25 14
Total other Total catch	000t 000t	3 593	5 794	10 776	23 950	10 891	32 1409	35 1432	5 794	21 987	33 1430	60 2335
Seals Guano Seaweed	no. 000t 000t	17 3 (2)	30 3 2	0 3 2	0 3 2	30 3 3	30 4 10	30 5 20	30 3 3	30 3 5	30 5 10	75 7 30

TABLE 3: NOTES ON THE FISH CATCH PROJECTIONS

Species	Slow growth	Rapid growth	Expected growth
Hake	Substantially complete by 2005	Fully complete by 2005	Substantially complete by 2005
Kingklip, monk	Same as hake	Same as hake	Same as hake
Sole	Slow recovery	Complete by 2005	Slow recovery
Horse mackerel	Catches decline for lack of markets	Catch rate sustained	Catch rate sustained
Chub mackerel	Partly complete by 2005	Fully complete by 2005	Partly complete by 2005
Pilchard	Gradual recovery, only partly complete by 2015	Rapid, full recovery, complete by 2005	Main recovery after 2005, complete by 2015
Anchovy	Little overall recovery	Rapid, full recovery, complete by 2005	Main recovery after 2005, complete by 2015
Tuna	Little expansion	Expansion by 2005	Expansion by 2015
Snoek	Gradual recovery	Rapid recovery	Gradual recovery
Squid	Same as hake	Same as hake	Same as hake
Shrimp	No fishery	New fishery by 2005	New fishery by 2015
Rock lobster	Slow recovery, only partly complete by 2015	Steady recovery, complete by 2015	Steady recovery, complete by 2015
Red crab	Stabilised at lower TAC	Rapid recovery to former catch rate	Slow recovery, complete by 2015
Seals	Culling stopped by 2005	Culling sustained at recent rate	Culling sustained at recent rate
Seabirds/ guano	Gradual decline continues	Decline reversed by 2005, then gradual increase	Decline stabilised by 2005
Seaweed	Present harvesting sustained	Steady increase throughout period	Gradual increase throughout period
Oysters	Static	New farms established	Slow expansion

3.1.1.4 DISTANCE FROM COAST

25. Demersal and midwater species (hake, horse mackerel, red crab) are concentrated 50-200 km offshore, deep down and fairly evenly spread, while pelagic species (pilchard, anchovies, juvenile horse mackerel) are concentrated 0-50 km inshore, near the surface and in dense shoals.

3.1.1.5 DISTRIBUTION ALONG COAST

26. The Namibian EEZ and the distribution of biomass can be separated in three zones (see table 4):

- Hake and other white fish: along the whole continental shelf;
- Horse mackerel: northern and central zones, densest in the north;
- Pilchard: central and northern zone (northern much larger and under-exploited).
Fully recovery depends on central stock which in turn is dependent on
replenishment from north;
- Anchovy: central zone, extending north and south in exceptional years;
- Rock lobster: southern coastal reef sites;
- Red crab: continental slope, mainly central and southern zones.

TABLE 4: GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF FISH SPECIES

Species	Depth; distance from coast	North-south distribution
Hake	Demersal; densest along the continental shelf.	Fairly continuous. Two slightly different hake stocks, the northern shared with Angola and the southern with South Africa.
Kingklip, monk	Demersal; similar to hake.	Similar to hake.
Sole	Demersal; inshore.	Mainly central.
Horse mackerel	Throughout the water column, but densest at middle (mid-water) depths. Younger fish closer inshore at shallow depths, mature fish further out and deeper down.	North of Walvis Bay, densest in the northern zone.
Chub mackerel	Pelagic, mainly shallow; both in- and offshore.	Central and northern.
Redeye herring	Pelagic, surface-shoaling; inshore.	Central and northern.
Pilchard	Pelagic, surface-shoaling; inshore, usually within 50 km.	Smaller central biomass from Walvis Bay to Terrace Bay; larger biomass in the northern zone. Highly variable shoaling patterns.
Anchovy	Pelagic, surface-shoaling; inshore, usually within 50 km.	Mostly Walvis Bay to Terrace Bay, sometimes further south and north. Highly variable shoaling pattern.
Tuna	Pelagic; mainly offshore.	Fast-moving and migratory; concentration around Mt Tripp Seamount in the south.
Snoek	Pelagic; in- and offshore.	Fast-moving and migratory; mainly central.
Squid	Pelagic/mid-water; mainly offshore.	Throughout the EEZ.
Shrimp	Pelagic; offshore.	Uncertain.
Rock lobster	Demersal; close inshore, concentrated around rocky reefs.	Southern coastal sites from Oyster Cliffs to Orange River.
Red crab	Demersal; offshore on continental slope.	Mainly central and southern.
Seals	Colonies on the offshore islands and at Cape Cross.	Central and southern.
Seabirds (guano)	Offshore island colonies, artificial platforms at Walvis Bay and Cape Cross.	Central and southern.
Seaweed	Close inshore.	Southern coast.
Oysters	Fish farms at L�deritz and Swakopmund.	Central and southern.

3.1.1.6 PRESENT FISHING CAPACITY

27. Distant-water fishing was ended on 21.03.1990 and fishing vessels must now be locally registered.

28. The fleet comprises:

- 38 purse seiners (pelagic factories);
- 20 small trawlers, mostly old (hake);
- 20 - 25 large freezer trawlers (mostly chartered
        from Spanish owners (hake, kingklip));
- 50-55 very large Russian trawlers with
        mid-water gear (horse mackerel);
- 5 demersal long-liners (tuna, hake) and 15
        hand-liners (various);
- 32 crayfish catchers in integrated fleets;
- 4 large Japanese crab catchers;
- A limited number of small boats.

29. There is excess capacity in purse-seiners, freezer trawler, mid-water trawler and crayfish catcher categories. The situation is pictured in the following five tables (tables 5 to 9):

TABLE 5: NAMIBIAN LICENSED FISHING VESSELS, 1989 - 1992

Fishery	Location	Gear	Year	No. of vessels	Total GRT	GRT/ vessel
Demersal	Offshore	Bottom trawl 110 mm	1989 1990 1991 1992* - F - W	43 51 47 42 38 4	39,763 44,780 45,390 36,192 35,098 1,094	925 878 966 862 924 274
Demersal	Inshore	Bottom trawl 75 mm	1989 1990 1991 1992*	15 16 16 15	1,596 1,784 1,784 1,702	106 111 111 113
Demersal	Offshore	Longline	1989 1990 1991 1992*	5 5 11 7	1,726 1,791 2,845 1,967	345 358 259 281
Horse mackerel	Offshore	Mid-water trawl	1989 1990 1991 1992*	- 61 78 48	- 158,560 195,584 176,117	- 2,599 2,507 3,669
Tuna	Offshore	Pole-&-line	1989 1990 1991 1992*	7 7 2 21	518 518 438 2,514	74 74 219 120
Linefish	Inshore	Handline	1989 1990 1991 1992*	16 16 14 11	947 947 857 727	59 59 61 66
Linefish	Inshore	Handline (ski-boats)	1989 1990 1991 1992*	3 3 2 2	3 3 3 2	1 1 1 1
Pelagic	Inshore	Purse-seine	1989 1990 1991 1992*	39 40 38 38	9,729 10,037 9,074 9,117	249 251 239 240
Rock lobster (factories)	Coast	Trap	1989 1990 1991 1992*	35 35 31 31	2,383 2,383 2,115 2,080	68 68 68 67
Rock lobster (SPBO) +	Coast	Trap	1989 1990 1991 1992*	10 10 10 8	111 225 225 113	11 22 22 14
Crab	Offshore	Trap	1989 1990 1991 1992*	6 8 5 4	2,392 3,239 2,001 1,612	399 405 400 403
Total			1989 1990 1991 1992*	179 251 254 227	59,168 183,957 260,316 232,143	331 733 1,025 1,023

NOTA:

F = freezer trawler W = wetfish trawler

* The figures for 1992 are compiled from the list of licensed vessels and include only those vessels which appeared to have current licences at the time the list was compiled (late 1992). The figures for 1989-1991 may additionally include vessels on licences which were relinquished during the year in question or transferred to other vessels.

+ Small private boat owners, each with a 10 t quota. These boats were not allocated rock lobster quotas for the 1992/93 season.

NB Vessels fishing under the ICSEAF regime up to March 1990 and not locally licensed are excluded.

TABLE 6: FISHING VESSELS: SIZE AND SHARE, 1992

Category	Share of total GRT (%)	Smallest (GRT)	Largest (GRT)	Mean (GRT)
White fish: freezer trawler wetfish trawler inshore trawler longliner sub-total	15.1 0.5 0.7 0.8 17.2	102 102 67 63	1,785 444 174 749	924 274 113 281
Semi-pelagic: midwater trawler	75.9	1,435	7,765	3,669
Pelagic: purse-seiner tuna longliner handliner ski-boat sub-total	3.9 1.1 0.3 0.0 5.3	98 68 35 1	564 225 99 1	240 126 66 1
Crustacean: rock lobster (F) rock lobster (SPBO) crab catchers sub-total	0.9 0.0 0.7 1.6	50 3 384	98