New limits on catches of the endangered Patagonian toothfish, regarded as a culinary delicacy in Japan, have been imposed by a Namibia-based regional fishing organisation.
Hashali Hamukuaya, executive of the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO), said its scientific committee had recommended the limit on the fish whose numbers are declining at an alarming rate.
”The step was necessitated by the concerns on the sustainability of the current fisheries and of the potential negative impacts on the vulnerable marine habitats,” he said.
”Only 263 metric tons of Patagonian toothfish may be caught starting on January 1 2008 for two years until the end of 2009.”
The slow-growing Patagonian toothfish of the Antarctic areas, which only reaches sexual maturity at ten years old, is extremely popular in the United States, where it is known as Chilean Sea Bass, and Japan, where it is called mero.
SEAFO also slapped a first restriction on deep sea Red Crab, limiting catches to 400 tons for the next two years, starting next January.
The organisation was established in March 2004 as a result of a 2001 convention, aiming to better conserve and manage fishing resources in the South-East Atlantic.
Its signatories include Namibia, Angola and the European Union, while South Africa is in the process of joining SEAFO. — Sapa-AFP