Namibia scraps individual fishing quotas
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Windhoek Observer
Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has announced the end of individual fishing quotas, saying the current system is unsustainable amid declining stocks and the resale of rights by beneficiaries. In 2024, fishing exports generated 13.8 billion Namibian dollars, compared with 14.1 billion in 2023, according to Fisheries Minister Inge Zaamwani.
Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has announced the end of individual fishing quotas, citing declining fish stocks and the sale of interests held by some beneficiaries. She made the announcement on 6 November at a public meeting in Swakopmund, according to the Windhoek Observer.
The government is considering allocating quotas directly to industry operators, which would change access to marine resources. The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, headed by Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi, said the fishing industry generated 13.8 billion Namibian dollars in export revenue in 2024, compared with 14.1 billion in 2023. Its contribution to gross domestic product fell from 4.5% to 4.1%, while the state received 278 million Namibian dollars in duties, levies, licences and penalties.
Fishing and aquaculture accounted for about 6.52 billion Namibian dollars in gross value added in 2024. The sector then had 235 commercial fishing vessels and 30 onshore processing facilities, producing 39 value-added products, and employed more than 19,000 people, according to national accounts data cited by the Windhoek Observer.
Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi called for increased local processing and higher revenues going to the Namibian population, saying public revenues from exploiting a national resource remained low compared with the sector’s turnover.
