KAWA MULTIMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Factors favouring the development of the fishing industry in southern Africa
There are some geographical and human factors which can be used to explain the development of fishing in the South Atlantic particularly the marine fisheries of Southern Africa. They are as follows:
The continental shelf of Southern Africa is quite wide extending to over 200 kilometres in some places. This provides shallow waters which are more so rich in plankton and fish.
The cold Benguela current that flows along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia creates very ideal conditions for plankton growth and this has in turn attracted large concentrations offish. This factor is reinforced by the mixing of the waters of the Benguela current with those of the warm Mozambique current.
The bays at the South African coast provide sheltered sites for the development of fishing villages, landing points and natural harbours. Examples of such bays include False Bay and Table Bay in the Cape Peninsula, and Saldanha Bay to the west of Picketberg.
The fishing territory of Southern Africa is located in an area with a smooth ocean floor. This enables fishermen to use large scale commercial fishing nets like seines and trawls.
Application of modern technology in the fishing industry. South Africa has built up a fleet of ships that can fish the deep ocean waters. These ships have powerful engines and can travel out quickly to the fishing grounds as far north as the Angolan coast.
Capital to fund the fishing activities is readily available. The South African fishing firms have injected large sums of money in the fishing industry and that has enabled them to employ modern efficient fishing methods as well as to set up fish processing factories at Cape Town (South Africa) and Walvis Bay and Luderitz (Namibia).
There is continuous research being carried out especially at Cape Town and Salidanha Bay. This has made it possible to conserve the fish species and numbers as well as to get alternative uses for fish. Today the fish which are not palatable are converted into fish oil and fertilizer.
There is a ready market for fish and fish products in South Africa, Namibia and Angola. The surplus catch is exported to Congo-Kinshasa, Zambia and overseas markets. In 1982, for example. South Africa exported fish worth 93,612 dollars.
The fishing ground of South Africa still has great potential for further development of a vibrant fishing industry but the presence of a wide range of natural resources and other economic activities overshadows that potential.
The region's fishing industry is also being threatened by political instabilities especially in Namibia, overfishing and the rising levels of water pollution in the Atlantic portion of the Republic of South Africa.
The continental shelf of Southern Africa is quite wide extending to over 200 kilometres in some places. This provides shallow waters which are more so rich in plankton and fish.
The cold Benguela current that flows along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia creates very ideal conditions for plankton growth and this has in turn attracted large concentrations offish. This factor is reinforced by the mixing of the waters of the Benguela current with those of the warm Mozambique current.
The bays at the South African coast provide sheltered sites for the development of fishing villages, landing points and natural harbours. Examples of such bays include False Bay and Table Bay in the Cape Peninsula, and Saldanha Bay to the west of Picketberg.
The fishing territory of Southern Africa is located in an area with a smooth ocean floor. This enables fishermen to use large scale commercial fishing nets like seines and trawls.
Application of modern technology in the fishing industry. South Africa has built up a fleet of ships that can fish the deep ocean waters. These ships have powerful engines and can travel out quickly to the fishing grounds as far north as the Angolan coast.
Capital to fund the fishing activities is readily available. The South African fishing firms have injected large sums of money in the fishing industry and that has enabled them to employ modern efficient fishing methods as well as to set up fish processing factories at Cape Town (South Africa) and Walvis Bay and Luderitz (Namibia).
There is continuous research being carried out especially at Cape Town and Salidanha Bay. This has made it possible to conserve the fish species and numbers as well as to get alternative uses for fish. Today the fish which are not palatable are converted into fish oil and fertilizer.
There is a ready market for fish and fish products in South Africa, Namibia and Angola. The surplus catch is exported to Congo-Kinshasa, Zambia and overseas markets. In 1982, for example. South Africa exported fish worth 93,612 dollars.
The fishing ground of South Africa still has great potential for further development of a vibrant fishing industry but the presence of a wide range of natural resources and other economic activities overshadows that potential.
The region's fishing industry is also being threatened by political instabilities especially in Namibia, overfishing and the rising levels of water pollution in the Atlantic portion of the Republic of South Africa.