Moçâmedes - About 79,856 tons of various fish were caught from January to November this year in the province of Namibe, the director of the Provincial Office for Fisheries and the Sea, Piedade Goanhe, told ANGOP today.
In an interview with ANGOP, the official said that, compared to the same period in 2022, there was an increase in the catch, in the order of 4 percent, when 76,500 tons were caught.
Piedade Goanhe explained that horse mackerel leads the list of species caught, followed by sardines, mackerel, taco-taco, croaker, red sniper, crab and squid, representing 86% of the catches.
The official said that the census of vessels, carried out in the first quarter of this year, allowed the production of essential information, which will serve for the Government of Namibe to define precise policies within the scope of the investments planned for the construction of infrastructures to support artisanal fishing, at the coastal level, improve the monitoring of fishing activity, aiming at the sustainable exploitation of marine resources and attracting investments to the sub-sector.
He added that the census also allowed the licensing of 2,132 artisanal and subsistence fishing vessels, of which 1,507 were commercial artisanal vessels and 625 subsistence vessels.
He made it known that in the province of Namibe there are 39 companies in the fishing sector, of which 38 are operational and one is paralyzed.
He explained that currently the fishing sector employs about 17,087 sailors, of which 10,037 in the artisanal segment and 678 in the semi-industrial segment.
The director argued that, for the next year, the sector intends to strengthen fisheries inspection along the coast, educate and sensitize riverside communities to disseminate good fishing practices and preserve the environment, within the scope of the implementation of the 'Blue Economy'.
Continue the registration process of artisanal fishing operators and consequently the definition of the fishing value chain, as well as start the 2nd phase of the Training and Qualification program for fishing masters, boatswains and sailors.
“In coordination with the municipal administrations, we will monitor the fishing activity so that it actually contributes to the social and economic plan of the province,” he stressed.
As for salt production, the director said that from January to November of this year, 4,725 tons of sea salt were produced for human consumption and food production, representing an increase of 10% compared to the same period in 2022.
He also stressed that salt operators have had many difficulties in obtaining iodine, which is exported and distributed exclusively by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.
He said that currently, at the provincial level, there are 6 salt pans, bringing together a workforce of 258 employees, adding that, through new private investments, 2 salt pans are being built in the commune of Bentiaba and in the municipality of Tômbwa, which will increase salt production by 60%.
The director said that seafood products have been in high demand, both in the domestic market and for export to countries such as Japan, the United States of America, Portugal, China and the Kingdom of Spain, which has allowed the attraction of foreign exchange to the country.
“The issue of flow does not constitute an embarrassment to the operators,' he said. VR/AC/DOJ
