KAWA MULTIMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Fishing in Southern Africa
The South Atlantic Ocean has one of Africa's richest fishing grounds. This ground is located in an area with excellent conditions for fish.
Most important of these conditions are the presence of a wide continental shelf, and the flow of the cool Benguela current which creates ideal conditions for plankton growth.
The South Atlantic fishing ground is exploited by three African countries namely Angola, Namibia and the Republic of South Africa.
There are numerous fishing villages and ports along the Angolan Coast; the most important being Mocamedes, Porto Alexandre, Benguela, Baia- dos Tigres and Luanda. The most import species of fish landed are the horse mackerel, Pilchard and tuna.
The Angolan fishermen get large catches every year. They satisfy the domestic demand and the surplus is either reduced to fish meal and fish oil for export or it is sun- dried and sent to the neighbouring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). In 1982 Angola realised a total catch of 112.4 thousand tonnes.
Namibia also has an important fishing industry. Today modern fishing vessels can be seen off the Namibian coast especially in the Walvis Bay. Most of these vessels are owned and controlled, by South African companies. Another important fishing and fish processing centre in Namibia is Luderitz. Among the fish caught off the Namibian coast are Mackerel, Pilchards and Anchovy.
Quite a large proportion of the catch is canned, or processed into fishmeal or fish oil. For the South African companies operating off the Namibian coast use modern vessels and efficient methods for catching fish, Namibia now lands more fish than Angola. For example, in 1982 the total catch for Namibia was 201.8 thousand tonnes.
The Republic of South Africa is the leading fish producing country in Africa. Both in-shore and deep sea fishing are well developed in the country's marine fisheries. There are many fish off South Africa's coast especially in places where the continental shelf is quite extensive and rich in fish food, plankton.
The most important area for marine fishing is that over the Agulhas Bank at the cape where the waters of the warm Mozambique (Agulhas) current mix with those of the cold Benguela current. The major species offish caught include mackerel, pilchards, anchovies, sardines, hake and sole.
South Africa's major fish landing ports are Cape Town and Port Nolloth. But since the South African fishing companies control a large fishing territory in the waters of the South Atlantic, their fishing boats sail all me way from Cape Town up to Walvis Bay and Luderitz in Namibia.
Apart from being landing ports, these coastal towns have factories where fish are cleaned and canned. About 21 percent of the catch are canned. Saldanha Bay is another important processing and Canning port for fish. The most important products of South Africa's fishing industry are tinned pilchards, fish meal, fish and whale oil, and stockfish.
Most important of these conditions are the presence of a wide continental shelf, and the flow of the cool Benguela current which creates ideal conditions for plankton growth.
The South Atlantic fishing ground is exploited by three African countries namely Angola, Namibia and the Republic of South Africa.
There are numerous fishing villages and ports along the Angolan Coast; the most important being Mocamedes, Porto Alexandre, Benguela, Baia- dos Tigres and Luanda. The most import species of fish landed are the horse mackerel, Pilchard and tuna.
The Angolan fishermen get large catches every year. They satisfy the domestic demand and the surplus is either reduced to fish meal and fish oil for export or it is sun- dried and sent to the neighbouring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). In 1982 Angola realised a total catch of 112.4 thousand tonnes.
Namibia also has an important fishing industry. Today modern fishing vessels can be seen off the Namibian coast especially in the Walvis Bay. Most of these vessels are owned and controlled, by South African companies. Another important fishing and fish processing centre in Namibia is Luderitz. Among the fish caught off the Namibian coast are Mackerel, Pilchards and Anchovy.
Quite a large proportion of the catch is canned, or processed into fishmeal or fish oil. For the South African companies operating off the Namibian coast use modern vessels and efficient methods for catching fish, Namibia now lands more fish than Angola. For example, in 1982 the total catch for Namibia was 201.8 thousand tonnes.
The Republic of South Africa is the leading fish producing country in Africa. Both in-shore and deep sea fishing are well developed in the country's marine fisheries. There are many fish off South Africa's coast especially in places where the continental shelf is quite extensive and rich in fish food, plankton.
The most important area for marine fishing is that over the Agulhas Bank at the cape where the waters of the warm Mozambique (Agulhas) current mix with those of the cold Benguela current. The major species offish caught include mackerel, pilchards, anchovies, sardines, hake and sole.
South Africa's major fish landing ports are Cape Town and Port Nolloth. But since the South African fishing companies control a large fishing territory in the waters of the South Atlantic, their fishing boats sail all me way from Cape Town up to Walvis Bay and Luderitz in Namibia.
Apart from being landing ports, these coastal towns have factories where fish are cleaned and canned. About 21 percent of the catch are canned. Saldanha Bay is another important processing and Canning port for fish. The most important products of South Africa's fishing industry are tinned pilchards, fish meal, fish and whale oil, and stockfish.