Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources chairperson Tjekero Tweya called on the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to increase the seal harvesting quota from 50 000 to 200 000 to protect the fishing industry.
The committee’s report, released on Tuesday, revealed that the seal population has grown to 1.6 million, up from 680,000 in 1970. Seals consume large amounts of fish, which make up 70% of their diet, posing a threat to the fishing industry.
The report found that seal rights holders have not fully used their quotas. Harvesters have focused mainly on bull seals for their valuable genitals while neglecting pups.
This has contributed to the rapid increase in the seal population.
To address this, the committee recommended increasing the harvesting quota to 200 000 for a fixed period to reduce the seal population to sustainable levels. It also suggested extending the harvesting season to the end of November.
“The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources should look into the possibility of extending the harvest season to the end of November to enable harvesters to catch their full quotas, as bulls only come to shore towards the end of September, leaving only two weeks for harvesting,” the report stated.
The committee also proposed promoting seal meat as a local protein source through Namibia Fish Consumption.
The report noted that while seals deplete fish stocks, climate change and overfishing by humans also play significant roles.
It also stressed the importance of sustainability.
“Scientific data shows that seals are a keystone species. Their reduction or near elimination will have an adverse impact on the marine ecosystem. Sustainability should guide decisions on managing the seal population,” it read.
The new members of parliament will discuss the report further to determine laws for sustainable seal harvesting without risking their depletion.
