Moçâmedes - The fishing season of horse mackerel along the Angolan coast has been closed as of July 1 to August 31 to enable the species to spawn and reproduce fully.
According to the provincial director of fisheries in Namibe province, Piedade Goanhe, there has been an increase in fish catches in the last two months compared to the first three months.
In April, 14,000 tons were produced compared to 15,000 tons of fish caught in May, he said.
Speaking to the press following a meeting with operators of the fishing sector, Goanhe said ship-owners who have horse mackerel in stock by June 30 must declare it to the local authorities or risk the product being mistaken for being caught during the closed season.
He said that in the first quarter of this year, a box of horse mackerel cost around 45,000 kwanzas, while today it costs 22,000 kwanzas, due to the availability of fishing resources in Namibe.
The coordinator of the Namibe regional fisheries inspection center, Vicente Neto, reiterated that ship-owners should, during the closed season, notify the authorities for greater control.
He said that, from January to date, 20 transgressions were recorded, mainly in artisanal fishing, pointing to a lack of information as the main cause of the irregularities.
"Artisanal fishermen need to be closer to the fishing associations, so that they are better informed and infringements can be avoided," he said.
Namibe province has 1,500 operational boats, of which 1,032 are in Moçâmedes and 475 in Tômbwa. VR/FA/QCB/MRA/AMP
