Abstract
Namibia is one of the driest countries of sub-Saharan Africa, and is prone to climate variability as the Namibian economy is heavily dependent on natural resources, including fisheries. The fisheries sector contributed about 3.4% to Namibia’s GDP in 2018; therefore, any negative impact on fish stocks can translate into direct losses in employment and export revenues. The rock lobster fishery in Namibia started as far back as the 1920s, and in 2019, there were 25 companies that employed about 292 fishers. In this study, a framework consistent with the standard vulnerability assessment (VA) framework applied by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was used to assess vulnerability and identify adaptation options for the rock lobster fishery. The assessments were directed at crucial stakeholders, including scientists, fishery managers, fishers, community members, and government officials. The evaluation found the rock lobster fishery as vulnerable to climate variability, as it is highly weather-dependent and operates in shallow inshore (0–30 m) areas. Fishers have observed increases in both swell frequency and height, including concomitant bottom surge, making access to fishing gear challenging. The cost of fishing has also increased due to spending more days at sea for the same magnitude of catch. Recently, lobster quota has been reduced from 350 t to 210 t. The study highlighted that few companies have the financial reserves to survive substantial drops in the quota or a year or two of zero catch imposed. There has been an increase in the cost of fishing operations because fishers have to spend more days at sea to catch the same quantity of lobsters, which increases operational costs such as fuel and bait. A decrease in exports may also jeopardize the markets where most of the Namibian rock lobster is exported and can reduce the fishery’s contribution to the GDP. Adaptations proposed include switching to other species like snoek and hake and importing lobsters for local processing. Government support was deemed to be necessary, including facilitating access to more international markets.
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Acknowledgments
This project was funded by The Global Environment Facility and implemented by FAO and the Benguela Current Convention. The opinions expressed in this chapter do not represent those of any of these or other organizations that participated in the study.
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Iitembu, J.A., Kainge, P., Sauer, W.H.H. (2021). Climate Vulnerability and its Perceived Impact on the Namibian Rock Lobster Fishery. In: Leal Filho, W., Luetz, J., Ayal, D. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22759-3_265-1
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