insert_link Business / Economics Namibia exports N$139 million in horticultural products The Namibia Statistics Agency has released the Agriculture and Fishing Statistical Bulletin during the second quarter of 2024. Namibia exported horticultural products valued at N$ 139.1 million. This, according to NSA spokesperson Mirjam Shihepo, is lower when compared to N$ 167.8 million that was exported in the same quarter of 2023. todaySeptember 18, 2024 21
insert_link Business / Economics Stalemate: WTO talks again fail to end overfishing subsidies A crewmember working the net on a research trawl vessel. Image by Jennifer Gilden/Pacific Fishery Management Council via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed). By Elizabeth Fitt via Mongabay Ambitions to finalize a two-part treaty to equitably stop governments from funding overfishing were dashed again at the World Trade Organization’s 13th ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi, which ended in the early hours of March 2. “This outcome is not just disappointing; it’s a dire blow […] todayMarch 6, 2024 24
insert_link Environment Small-scale fishers could be allowed to catch new species photo: Ashraf Hendricks By Liezl Human via GroundUp Small-scale fishers in the Western Cape could be allowed to catch new species, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has said. The Department is finalising policy for the small-scale sector in the Western Cape. Small-scale fishing cooperatives must be sustainable, Abongile Ngqongwa, deputy director of small-scale fisheries management, told Parliament on Tuesday. He said most resources had been declining and […] todayFebruary 28, 2024 17
insert_link Business / Economics Josef Sheehama reacts to the decision of Bank of Namibia to keep repo rate unchanged By Josef Sheehama The decision of Bank of Namibia to keep repo rate unchanged is a shocking because inflation rates is stable, and our international reserve remain strong. The policymakers try to navigate risks to inflation and the timing of when global interest rates will start to fall. I understand that the decision influences by several factors contributing to the status quo. We are aware that Namibia's currency, […] todayFebruary 14, 2024 11
insert_link Africa Livelihoods at stake as Lake Victoria’s papyrus swamps come under pressure: Photos By Patrick Newcombe, via MongaBay The papyrus swamps at the edges of Lake Victoria in East Africa have for generations provided a livelihood to communities living here. While some harvest reeds to make into mats, baskets, and handicrafts, others catch the plentiful fish that nurse in the shelter of the reedbeds. The swamps are also home to birds that have become specialized to live amidst the papyrus reeds in a […] todayFebruary 7, 2024 23
insert_link Environment Cape fishers worried about declining fish populations Mario Jacobs has been doing commercial fishing for decades. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks By Liezl Human via GroundUp Mario Jacobs is worried. He has had a commercial fishing license since 1998, and has an annual quota for catching sardines and anchovies. But sardine stocks have been in poor shape for years and 2023 was the worst year on record for anchovy stocks. Jacobs, who is from Hangberg in Hout Bay, says his […] todayJanuary 24, 2024 13
insert_link Business / Economics AI and satellite data map true scale of untracked fishing and ocean industry By Elizabeth Fitt via Mongabay We’ve been largely flying blind when it comes to fishing, shipping and energy production intel on our oceans, according to a new study that combines artificial intelligence with satellite technology. Researchers found that more than three-quarters of industrial fishing activity and almost one-third of transport and energy activity is missing from public tracking systems, and therefore largely invisible globally. The study, from Global Fishing Watch (GFW), a […] todayJanuary 12, 2024 11
insert_link Africa BlueInvest Africa 2024: Calling African Entrepreneurs BlueInvest Africa is calling for African entrepreneurs eager to venture into the blue economy. Thirty outstanding projects will be handpicked for presentation to a panel of investors at the second edition of BlueInvest Africa, scheduled to take place in Kenya on 3 and 4 July 2024. The deadline for applications is 26 January 2024. BlueInvest Africa 2024 marks the second edition of this important business event, initiated by the […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 20
insert_link Africa Congo’s waters are hotspot for endangered sharks & rays, reveals data from artisanal fishers By Molly Herring via Mongabay An African wedgefish (Rhynchobatus luebberti) landed by artisanal fishermen and sold in Songolo (Critically Endangered, IUCN Red List). Credit: Godefroy De Bruyne A new shark census off the coast of the Republic of the Congo relied on hard-earned trust between researchers and artisanal fishermen. The team found endangered sharks and rays on potential nursery grounds, including juveniles and two species thought to be gone from the […] todayNovember 29, 2023 17
