Fisheries - Enviro Dynamics Namibia

F I S H E R I E S , M A M M A L S A N D S E A B I R D S S P E C I A L I S T S T U D Y
Specifically for each fishing sector we summarise as follows:
The hake trawl fishery (Figures 19 and Tables 1a and c)
Figure 19 (and Tables 1a and b) shows the position of hake trawls carried out during the period
2004 – 2009. Trawling intensity is expected to be moderate as the preferred trawl depth for the
fishery is greater than 300 m. Catches taken from the MLA and Zone 1 (i.e. Mine Site) is a small
proportion of the entire Namibian EEZ and constitutes 5.03% of the total catches (Table 1a) and
4.37% of effort. Within the MLA the historical catch is 0.86% or about 1% of total hake trawl
effort. There are minimal records of fishing in SP-1 and SP-3 but fishing has been reported in SP-
2. Hake trawling however is likely to be impacted within the whole MLA, in particular on the
seaward (deeper) areas (western fringes of the MLA). Trawling for hake, although it occurs
significantly beyond the MLA, is highly unlikely to be affected. The only caveat in this regard is the
extent of any exclusion zone around the mining operation (which is not likely to be beyond the
MLA).
The hake longline fishery (Figure 20 and Table 1c)
Hake is also targeted by the demersal longline fishery and the position of the throws relative to
the MLA is represented in Figure 20. The catch distribution of longline is similar to the trawl in
that in the MLA the fishery overlaps on the fringes of their catch distribution profile. The
demersal longline fishery should only be impacted in the south western portion of the MLA. Note
% shown in Table 1c is not for the whole EEZ catch, it is only up to the 100km boundary – Zone 3.
The monk trawl fishery (Figure 21 and Table 1a and b)
This fishery deploys similar bottom-trawl gear to hake but target monk using gear with some
modifications (such as tickler chains). The mining operation is expected to significantly impact
monk-directed trawling as the data show that historically an estimated 6.34% (Table 1a) of monk
are taken in the MLA (Figure 21) and 19.75% if Zone 1 is included. Catches are taken from more
than 50% of the MLA and in particular monk trawling will be excluded from the SP-2 and SP-3
areas. The proximity of SP-1 to monk grounds is also likely to exclude monk trawling. We
conclude therefore that monk trawling will be largely excluded from parts of the MLA especially
in SP-2 during the second phase of mining.
Horse mackerel (Figure 22 and Table 1a and b)
The bulk of the mid-water fleet catches of horse mackerel are usually made north of 20°00’S.
Only a small percentage (0.32% Table 1a) of the fishing activity occurs in the MLA (Figure 22) and
1.08% if Zone 1 is included. The frequency (intensity) of midwater trawling in the MLA is
therefore expected to be low as the cumulative effort (hours trawled) approximates 1.25%
(Table 1b) .Note however that the data suggest that fishing has occurred in the whole of the MLA
but that fishing intensity is low. This implies that the mid-water trawl fishery will lose the option
of fishing in the MLA but that due to the low frequency of fishing in the area, the overall impact
on the fishery will be moderate to low.
Small pelagic (Figures 23-26 and Table 1c)
Though the MLA is not situated in the main small pelagic fishing grounds (sardine – Figure 25;
round herring – Figure 26), the MLA is an area of occasional high abundance of adult fish (Figure
23). For sardine the estimated historical catch in the MLA and Zone 1 approximates 17% (of the
100km around the MLA) with most taken in Zone 1 and zero catch in each of SP-1, 2 and 3. The
northern extent of the MLA overlaps marginally with purse seine grounds and to a greater extent
Final Report
Namibian Marine Phosphate (Pty) Ltd.
Page 54