Government approves fishing quotas

Namibia's cabinet had approved quotas for horse mackerel, deep sea crab and rock lobster for the 2001-2002 season, 'The Namibian' reported on Thursday. The quota for horse mackerel was set at 350,000 mt, down 60,000 mt from the 2000-2001 quota of 410,000 mt, the report said. It quoted Fisheries and Marines Resources Minister Abraham Iyambo as saying in his submission to the cabinet, that surveys and stock assessments indicated a dramatic fluctuation in the horse mackerel stock. The current estimated stock size was between 900,000 and 1,7 million mt, he said, and the allocation was in line with a scientific recommendation, as well as the recommendation of the Marine Resource Advisory Council. The quota for crab was set at 2,200 mt, a 200 mt increase from the previous year's quota, and the quota for rock lobster was set at 400 mt, up 50 mt from last year, the report said.