Hanganeni Artisanal Fishing Association Namibia

It is commonly accepted by recreational and subsistence anglers at the coast that fish do not bite as they used to a decade ago, and that catching the daily bag quota without stretching a fish here and there, has become nearly impossible – unlike in the past when every angler would bag 10 decent fish a day.
The anglers of Hanganeni Artisanal Fishing Association (HAFA) in Henties Bay are, however, not complaining, although each of the 20 registered anglers could not bag 10 fish every day, they managed nearly 7,5 tonnes, which included kabeljou, steenbras, galjoen and black-tail (Kolstert) during 2013.

More specifically, HAFA anglers bagged 4 555 fish including 3 155 kabeljou, 903 Steenbras, 264 galjoen and 233 Kolstert last year.

The best fishers were Johannes !Hoaseb and Cecilia Lukalwa, with a collective catch of 1 614 kilogrammes, of which !Hoaseb contributed 1 110kg and Lukalwa 495kg. They were each recently presented with brand new fishing rods and certificates for Fisherman and Fisherwoman of the Year.

HAFA marketing manager Patrick Kaaheke said the quality and quantity of fish have decreased over the past 10 years, and that the fish are scarce on the 70 kilometre stretch between Swakopmund and Henties Bay, which was known to be popular rock and surf fishing grounds.

“Now the fishing is better north of Henties Bay. There are a number of factors affecting the daily catches from the ocean with regards to angling such as the moon phases, tides, the sea cycles, wind and the time of day when fishing is conducted as well as human activities,” he said.

HAFA celebrated a decade of growth last year and has employed 70 anglers to date.

The association was initiated with the view to develop into a community-based organisation to assist the previously disadvantaged Omdel community of Henties Bay to address the issue of unemployment, and income generation from marine resources and eco-tourism.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources granted exploratory rights to the project with the aim of exploiting fish along the coastline using fishing rods.

It also trained staff in navigation, skippering and fish sales and processing.