Namibia is blessed with marine fishing grounds so rich that they have been called “the meadows of the sea”. Here, vast shoals of pilchard, hake, mackerel, anchovy and other fish feed on the rich plankton which thrive in the nitrogen-rich upwelling of the Atlantic’s cold Benguela current, along Africa’s south western coast .

Marine management
Though rampant over-fishing by foreign fleets almost decimated this natural bounty by the 1960’s, fish stocks are on the rise to their former abundance, encouraged by stringent management controls introduced in the 1990’s, as well as a 200 mile EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) covering an area of some 580 000 km², that has all but eliminated illegal fishing.

Pelagic & demersal fishing
A wide variety of both pelagic (‘open water’) and demersal (‘bottom dwelling’) species are harvested along this coast, with the ports of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz acting as the country’s two major centres for the landing and processing of catches.

While low-cost/high-protein horse mackerel finds eager markets on the continent, higher value fish like deepwater hake, tuna, monk and sole (of which Lüderitz handles some 90000 tonnes per year) as well as swordfish and deep sea crab, have ready and established markets in Europe, North America, Australia and Japan. By way of example: 85% of all Namibian deep-water hake is transhipped to Spain, while fresh, premium quality long-line hake is flown overnight from Namibia for delivery to the fish markets of Barcelona and Frankfurt within hours of being caught.

Rock lobster
At Lüderitz, crustacean species such as sought-after rock lobster are still a highly stable and important contributor to the Karas marine economy, enjoying markets in South Africa and abroad.

Oysters & mariculture
A thriving mariculture enterprise at Lüderitz today produces some 50 000 medium sized oysters per year, almost all of which are absorbed by South African gourmet tables.
The cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Atlantic around Lüderitz are ideal for mariculture operations using suspended trays and anchored nets, to produce shellfish such as abalone and mussels, sea urchins and sea cucumbers, with potential for the nursery culture of turbot, cod, halibut and other species.

Freshwater aqua-culture projects near large sources of inland water, such as Naute Dam, are also presently being investigated for the production of species like tilapia and catfish.
Towns such as Berseba and Bethanie already have small-scale aqua-culture projects in place.

Marine processing
Today, fishing accounts for almost 8 % of Namibian GDP but the value of fish processing has increased apace – from less than N$300 million at independence to an impressive N$ 2.64 billion in 2000 alone, strongly encouraged by sizeable reductions in quota limits and potential increases in shares of TAC to companies processing marine products in Namibia.

Today, all major marine operators exporting to the EU adhere to strict HACCP international food handling and health standards while satellite-based communications even allow foreign buyers abroad to appraise the quality of catches while boats are still at sea. These are two examples of the scope and depth of a well established and well capitalised industry that offers huge potential for the serious investor.