Seals alone not to blame for fish stock pressure – ministry

The fisheries ministry says blaming seals for declining fish stocks is misguided, warning that the causes are more complex and run far deeper.Romeo Muyunda, deputy director for public relations and information services, explained that while a large seal population along Namibia’s coast may place some pressure on certain fish stocks, it is not the primary driver of declines in regulated species.“The situation is influenced by a combination of historical overfishing, environmental factors and ecosystem dynamics, all of which must be considered in fisheries management decisions,” Muyunda explained.“Additionally, the marine ecosystem is highly complex, and factors such as environmental variability, prey availability and ecosystem interactions make it difficult to quantify the exact contribution of seal predation to current stock pressures,” he told Namibian Sun on Monday.His remarks follow President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's recent warning of a declining trend in key regulated species, raising concerns about the sector's long-term sustainability.“While the country continues with science-based fisheries management, recent stock assessments reveal that several key commercial species are under increasing pressure,” the president said.The president noted that the fishing sector remains a vital part of Namibia's economy, contributing 4.1% of GDP, generating N$14.3 billion in exports and supporting more than 21 000 direct jobs across the value chain.Scientific factsAccording to Muyunda, Cape fur seals are opportunistic predators, known to consume a wide variety of prey and to adapt their diet based on availability.“Scientific studies conducted in Namibian waters since 2013 show that the bearded goby, a non-commercial species, has consistently been the dominant component of their diet, accounting for between 50% and 90% in some years,” he said."However, commercially important species such as hake, horse mackerel and squid also form part of the seal diet, particularly in certain regions."Muyunda added that in the central and far south, hake consumption has increased since 2022, reaching about 70% of the seal diet by 2025.In the central and far north, horse mackerel makes up between 10% and 50% of the diet, averaging around 30% in recent years.Pilchard, which has shown signs of biomass recovery over the past three years, accounted for about 10% of the diet in 2025.He added that in terms of management, Namibia’s seal population is regulated through a total allowable catch (TAC) system, which provides for the sustainable harvesting of both pups and bulls."However, over the past decade, the industry has not been able to harvest the full quota of pups largely due to market restrictions and bans. This under-harvesting has contributed to the continued growth of the seal population,” Muyunda said.Industry claimsMeanwhile, Walu Fishing managing director Erna Loch told Namibian Sun that the sustainability of the country’s marine resources is under serious threat due to the rapid growth of the seal population.She claimed that scientific estimates indicate that a single seal consumes approximately six kilograms of fish per day.Loch said an estimated seal population of three million consumes around 18 million kilograms of fish per day, roughly 6.57 million metric tonnes per year."By comparison, Namibia's total allowable catch for all fisheries combined, including hake, horse mackerel and monk, stands at approximately 339 000 metric tonnes in 2026, excluding bycatch,” she said.“This means that seals consume nearly 20 times more fish annually than the total amount legally allocated to the entire fishing industry. While fishing is strictly regulated through quotas, monitoring, and enforcement, seal predation remains uncontrolled, continuous and year-round.”Two years ago, Adolf Burger, the general manager of Princess Brand Processing (PBP), raised concerns about the increasing number of seal colonies in areas rich with horse mackerel, saying the company now has to “compete” with the seals.Speaking at a consultation meeting with the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources, he highlighted the “devastating effects” of the growing seal population on the sustainable harvest of fish stock in Walvis Bay.According to him, the seals understand the fishing operations of vessels.“They come for the vessels when they see them pumping. They know how we operate and there's nothing that we can do to scare off these seals.”He added that seals cause significant damage to the vessels' pumps.No demandSome argue that the growth of Namibia’s seal population stems from quota holders focusing almost exclusively on harvesting bull seals for their genitals while neglecting the rest of the animal, including meat and valuable by-products, due to a lack of demand.Then-chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources, Tjekero Tweya, presenting the committee’s findings in parliament, argued that the current system benefits only a handful of investors while overlooking broader industrialisation applications.“It is true that seals are overpopulated. Why? The ministry of fisheries issues quotas for harvesting, and this year, 60 000 seals were allocated. Of these, approximately 8 000 are bulls, while the rest are pups,” he said.Tweya noted that Namibia faces international pressure due to seals being listed as an endangered species.He added that foreign investors are only interested in seal genitals for their alleged medicinal purposes, meaning the 8 000 bulls are targeted, while the remaining 52 000 seals, including their meat, oil and other by-products, are largely discarded.nikanor@nmh-hub.com.na

Seals alone not to blame for fish stock pressure – ministry

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-23

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Seals alone not to blame for fish stock pressure – ministry

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-23

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