Namibia’s total fish exports for the second quarter of this year saw a decline in export volumes, valued at N$3.8 billion. 

This represents a slight decrease from the N$4.1 billion recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2023.

The exports include crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates. 

These figures are contained in the Namibia Statistics Agency’s (NSA) latest Agriculture and Fishing Indicators Statistical Bulletin published last week.

Total landings of quota species for the period under review amounted to 101 173 metric tonnes, an increase of 4.4% when compared to 96 909 metric tonnes recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2023.

In comparison, horse mackerel recorded the highest landings of
61 459 metric tonnes, followed by hake with 35 772 metric tonnes, and Monk with landings of 2 406 metric tonnes. 

Meanwhile, the main export destination for Namibia’s fish products for the quarter under review was Spain, which accounted for 34.9% of the country’s total exports. Spain mainly imported Namibia’s frozen fillets of hake.

The second and third leading export destinations for Namibian fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates was Zambia, which imported over 19.4% of the country’s fish products. 

Italy imported 7.4% of Namibia’s total sea product exports. 

The main product that was exported to Zambia was horse mackerel, while Italy’s imports of Namibian sea products mainly included frozen fillets of hake. 

Increase

In terms of Namibia’s fish product imports, the value of total imports for the period under review stood at N$206.1 million, an increase when compared to the N$173.3 million recorded in the corresponding quarter of last year.

“Products were mainly sourced from the Falkland Islands accounting for a 45.9% share for the quarter under review. The main product imported from Falkland Island were cuttlefish and squid. In second place, South Africa accounted for a 33.3% share. The main product that was sourced from South Africa was hake. Spain, in third place, accounted for 6.7% share of imports. Cuttlefish and squid were the main products imported from Spain,” reads the report. 

Globally, Namibia ranks amongst the top 10 fishing countries in terms of the value of production. 

In terms of its 400kg per capita annual production, it ranks second in the world.

Namibia is also the top African fisheries’ country by production value and exports, and its estimated national fish reserves are the biggest in Southern Africa.

However, the fishing industry and the Namibian economy faced some challenges in recent years, especially following the pilchard (sardine) industry’s decline due to reported overfishing and natural events, such as the Benguela-Nino climate crisis.

But mariculture has now become another sustainable way of creating employment and increasing economic growth in the fishing sector, which includes the cultivation of oysters in the sheltered Walvis Bay as well as ponds north of Swakopmund. 

Namibian oysters remain sought-after in the local industry and abroad.

-ohembapu@nepc.com.na