Seismic exploration for oil and gas in Namibian waters will possibly be banned except for the period May to September because of alleged damage to the West African state’s valuable tuna fishery.
There has been a massive depletion of catches, notably from about 1,800 tonnes last year to some 650t so far this year. This compares with 4,000t in 2011.
The Namibian government commissioned a taskforce to look into the issue and the ban on seismic except for May to September is its core recommendation.
The taskforce has also proposed that research should be conducted on the distance from the tuna migratory route and fishing hotspots, at which seismic surveys can be conducted to avoid interference with fishing.
February and March mark the height of the pole and line tuna season in Namibia when around 70% of the catch is taken.