Exclusive horse mackerel fishing zones to be identified under revised limits
Misryoum reports the fisheries ministry will later name the exclusive areas for wet-landed horse mackerel after Cabinet eased trawling limits for a 12-month period.
A fresh trawling window has been approved, but Namibia’s wet-landed horse mackerel fishers still will not know the exact exclusive areas yet.
Following a Cabinet decision to ease trawling restrictions for wet-landed horse mackerel, the Ministry of Fisheries says the zones reserved for the subsector will be identified and announced at a later stage.. Misryoum reports that the ministry plans to do this after consultations with the fishing industry and other relevant stakeholders.
The scope of the relaxation is time-bound. It has been approved as a temporary change for 12 months, running from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027.
The ministry’s message sets clear geographic boundaries for the new arrangement. Misryoum says the trawling allowance applies within the zone between latitudes 22°S and 24°S, specifically for vessels operating up to a depth of 150 metres, and not shallower than that.
Meanwhile, Misryoum adds that areas south of latitude 22°S, beyond the 200-metre isobath, will continue to be open to all operators in line with existing practice.
This matters because where the industry can fish, and who can fish there, shapes both competition and compliance, especially when a rule change is meant to be temporary.
The Ministry also reiterated its intention to engage transparently with stakeholders and to manage Namibia’s marine resources sustainably. Misryoum reports the ministry framed the approach as one aimed at benefiting all parties and future generations.
In practice, the delay in naming the exclusive zones means operators will need to watch for the outcome of the planned consultations before final preparations are locked in.
At the end of the day, Misryoum notes that clarity on exclusive zones will likely be as important to fishers as the depth and latitude limits themselves, since it determines access on the water.