Midwater-trawling sector back in business

NAMIBIA’s midwater-trawling fishing sector has bounced back from the fishing crisis of 2003 and 2004 and will land most of its quota by the end of December.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel for us again, as we have come from making a loss to a small profit margin this year,” a representative of the Midwater Trawling Association, Kallie Jacobs, said during an interview with The Namibian. But this upturn could be short lived, as the sector faces some uncertainty next year.The total allowable catch (TAC) for the season starting in January has provisionally been reduced by 60 000 tonnes.”The scientific survey in March showed a 40 per cent reduction in the size of the horse mackerel biomass, which is extremely disconcerting.”Jacobs said it was not wise to depend on the results of only one survey, and that the next one in March was critical for the future of the sector.”That is why the 300 000 tonnes TAC is a provisional one, which was jointly agreed upon by the industry and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.”A second concern is the movement of fishable or adult horse mackerel into the 200m isobath where there is a ban on fishing.The line was determined by scientists to protect the nurseries and spawning areas of hake and horse mackerel.Jacobs said the industry had received permission from the Ministry to do three experimental trips inside the 200m isobath in order to confirm their suspicions of the movement of the resource.”We’ll have our third trip in January after which we will meet with the Minister and scientists to decide whether there will be a relaxation of the isobath [ban].”Jacobs said if permission was not granted to fish inside the banned area, the industry would face huge problems.He said the fish size caught this year had been smaller than usual and it took longer to find schools of fish.”This meant our cost per unit effort was higher as it took greater effort from us to find the fish.”That is also why the full quota would not be landed.Fortunately there were other positive developments this season which favoured the sector.”We are satisfied with the change in the exchange rate, and as long as it remains between U$7 to U$7.40 to N$1 we are happy.”The price of Namibian horse mackerel has also gone up, after reaching an all-time low in mid-2004.”It is at the highest level it has ever been, going up from U$300 per ton free on board to U$450 – U$475 per ton.”Jacobs said the favourable exchange rate and the price increase have offset the sharp rise in the fuel price.The latest decrease in the price of crude oil to below U$60 per barrel was welcomed with open arms by the industry.One of the relief measures introduced by the Minister during the crisis three years ago helped to consolidate the catch effort of the midwater-trawling sector and ensured that only cost-effective operators survived.Jacobs said the limit on the number of vessels resulted in a more even supply of fish right through the year, keeping the supply and demand at a stable level and pushing prices up.”In the past the TAC was caught during the first three months of the season, which lead to an oversupply of fish and prices came down,” he said.There are currently 13 vessels operating, compared to up to 25 vessels on the same TAC previously.The provisional quota for next year has allocated 252 000 tonnes to 12 horse mackerel concession holders, 35 000 tonnes to the pelagic sector for fish meal production, 5 000 tonnes to the Namibia Fish Consumption and Promotion Trust and 8 000 tonnes to a bilateral agreement between Namibia and Mozambique.The sector exports about 75 per cent of its product to the DRC, Mozambique and Ghana, and overland to South Africa.Jacobs said the fish is sold in frozen lots of between 1 000 tonnes to 1 500 tonnes.Namibian mackerel has a very specific market because it is smaller and less fatty.”We cater for the bottom end of the market, the poor sector, and therefore it remains at a stable level.”According to Jacobs the bulk fish is bought by distributors with cold-room facilities in the DRC for instance.They sell small quantities of fish on a daily basis to individual buyers, mostly women, who in turn go to open markets where they either sell it frozen or cook the fish and sell it.He said transport played a big part in the marketing of mackerel, which meant a place like Cuba would be out of the question because of the distance.Other countries selling mackerel are South Africa, Chile, New Zealand, Morocco and Mauritania.* Maggi Barnard is a freelance journalistBut this upturn could be short lived, as the sector faces some uncertainty next year. The total allowable catch (TAC) for the season starting in January has provisionally been reduced by 60 000 tonnes.”The scientific survey in March showed a 40 per cent reduction in the size of the horse mackerel biomass, which is extremely disconcerting.”Jacobs said it was not wise to depend on the results of only one survey, and that the next one in March was critical for the future of the sector.”That is why the 300 000 tonnes TAC is a provisional one, which was jointly agreed upon by the industry and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.”A second concern is the movement of fishable or adult horse mackerel into the 200m isobath where there is a ban on fishing.The line was determined by scientists to protect the nurseries and spawning areas of hake and horse mackerel.Jacobs said the industry had received permission from the Ministry to do three experimental trips inside the 200m isobath in order to confirm their suspicions of the movement of the resource.”We’ll have our third trip in January after which we will meet with the Minister and scientists to decide whether there will be a relaxation of the isobath [ban].”Jacobs said if permission was not granted to fish inside the banned area, the industry would face huge problems.He said the fish size caught this year had been smaller than usual and it took longer to find schools of fish.”This meant our cost per unit effort was higher as it took greater effort from us to find the fish.”That is also why the full quota would not be landed.Fortunately there were other positive developments this season which favoured the sector.”We are satisfied with the change in the exchange rate, and as long as it remains between U$7 to U$7.40 to N$1 we are happy.”The price of Namibian horse mackerel has also gone up, after reaching an all-time low in mid-2004.”It is at the highest level it has ever been, going up from U$300 per ton free on board to U$450 – U$475 per ton.”Jacobs said the favourable exchange rate and the price increase have offset the sharp rise in the fuel price.The latest decrease in the price of crude oil to below U$60 per barrel was welcomed with open arms by the industry.One of the relief measures introduced by the Minister during the crisis three years ago helped to consolidate the catch effort of the midwater-trawling sector and ensured that only cost-effective operators survived. Jacobs said the limit on the number of vessels resulted in a more even supply of fish right through the year, keeping the supply and demand at a stable level and pushing prices up.”In the past the TAC was caught during the first three months of the season, which lead to an oversupply of fish and prices came down,” he said.There are currently 13 vessels operating, compared to up to 25 vessels on the same TAC previously.The provisional quota for next year has allocated 252 000 tonnes to 12 horse mackerel concession holders, 35 000 tonnes to the pelagic sector for fish meal production, 5 000 tonnes to the Namibia Fish Consumption and Promotion Trust and 8 000 tonnes to a bilateral agreement between Namibia and Mozambique.The sector exports about 75 per cent of its product to the DRC, Mozambique and Ghana, and overland to South Africa.Jacobs said the fish is sold in frozen lots of between 1 000 tonnes to 1 500 tonnes.Namibian mackerel has a very specific market because it is smaller and less fatty.”We cater for the bottom end of the market, the poor sector, and therefore it remains at a stable level.”According to Jacobs the bulk fish is bought by distributors with cold-room facilities in the DRC for instance.They sell small quantities of fish on a daily basis to individual buyers, mostly women, who in turn go to open markets where they either sell it frozen or cook the fish and sell it.He said transport played a big part in the marketing of mackerel, which meant a place like Cuba would be out of the question because of the distance.Other countries selling mackerel are South Africa, Chile, New Zealand, Morocco and Mauritania.* Maggi Barnard is a freelance journalist