Research surveys on horse mackerel stocks conducted in 2006 and 2007 have indicated a decline in the horse mackerel biomass to 546 000 and 535 000 tonnes respectively. There has also been an overall reduction in the size of captured fish and this indicates that this fishery is under pressure.

In 2006, the industry was allocated 300 000 metric tonnes and under caught. According to the fishing industry, they could not land the full 2006 TAC due to the movement of adult horse mackerel into the 200 m isobaths where there is a ban on fishing and the fact that the fish had been smaller than usual and it took longer to find schools of fish.

As a precautionary approach to fisheries management, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources considered the scientific recommendations and the recommendations of the Marine Resources Advisory Council recommendations and set a TAC of 230 000 tonnes for horse mackerel for the January to December 2008 fishing season.

Deep-sea red crab stock is shared between Angola and Namibia, but the stock is currently managed as distinct population units by the two countries. Available data indicates a relatively stable catch per unit of effort and fishable biomass over the pass decade.

The TAC for deep-sea red crab is, therefore set at 2 500 tonnes for the January to December 2008 season in line with the recommendations by scientists and the Marine Resource Advisory Council.

For rock lobster, results of the assessments carried out in 2007 show that there is no improvement in the overall biomass of the lobster stock, while stock recruitment for the past few years has been poor. A decline in the overall catch per unit of effort of the stock was also observed, despite swell conditions having become more moderate during recent seasons. By the end of the 2006/07 season, less than 50% of the TAC was filled compared to 70% of the TAC filled by the end of the previous season.

In line with Section 38 of the Marine Resources Act (Act no 27 of 2000), the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, therefore, set the TAC for rock lobster for the November 2007 to April 2008 season at 350 tonnes in line with the recommendations by scientists and the Marine Resource Advisory Council.

If the full TAC is caught in each of the fisheries indicated above, the total revenue that will be generated from the payment of quota fees will be around N$48.350 million.

With the above in mind, Cabinet approved the following TACs:

• Horse mackerel: 230 000 tonnes from the January 1 to December 31, 2008 season
• Red Crab: 2 500 tonnes for the January 1 to December 31, 2008 season;
• Rock lobster: 350 tonnes for the 2007/2008 fishing season as follows:
  • Southern grounds (Diaz Point to Orange River border) from 1 November 2007 to 30 April 2008;
  • Central grounds (between the Luderitz and Ichaboe sanctuaries), Northern and Far-Northern grounds (including Gallovidea, Hottentot Point, Black Rock, Saddle Hill, Mercury and Easter Cliffs) from 1 January to 30 April 2008.