Mozambique: Prawns fishing closed for four months

The Mozambican government has imposed a closed season for prawns fishing from 01 November to 14 March next year.

The closed season covers five zones. The first is the Sofala Bank, which includes the provinces of Sofala, Zambézia and Nampula, in the central and northern region of the country.

The second zone includes Maputo Bay, the third the mouth of the Limpopo River, which goes as far as town of Quissico, Zavala district, in Inhambane province in the southern region of the country.

In view of the pressure in Inhambane, the government has decided to extend the closed season for the entire province.

According to the General Director of the National Fisheries Administration, at the Ministry of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries (MIMAIP), Cassamo Júnior, the closed fishing season is intended to enable the reproduction of fish species.

“As for prawns fishing, we will impose a closed season for industrial and semi-industrial fishing starting on 1 November and ending on 31 December and from 1 January until 14 March we will impose a closed season for industrial and semi-industrial surface prawns, said Júnior to a Maputo press on Friday.

The closed also includes artisanal fishing, but does not prevent fishing other marine species.

‘It must be clear that we are not banning fishing activity. Fishermen who use trawls nets cannot fish, if they want to fish they can use another fishing gear,” he warned.

For mangrove crabs, Matsinhe explained that the closed season starts from 01 November to the 31st of December of 2022.

“The closed season for mangrove crabs fishing will last two months, and on January 1, 2023, fisherman will be allowed to resume fishing”, Matsinhe assured.

Matsinhe explained that the northern province of Cabo Delgado is exempt from a closed season because recent studies carried out in the region have shown that there is no need so far.

In terms of catch volumes industrial and semi-industrial and artisanal fishing managed to reach 5,727 tonnes of prawns in 2022 down from 5,901 tonnes in 2021, a negative variation of 200 tonnes.

According to the source, was due to the low operability of the fleet and increase of fuel price.

Fishing of mangrove crabs show a one per cent increase from 6,900 tonnes in 2021 to 7,000 thousand tonnes in 2022.

In another development, Matsinhe warned companies to declare their production by 31 October, otherwise they risk to be banned.

To boost security, Matsinhe said, besides satellite surveillance, the authorities have set up multisectorial teams, made up of technicians from the National Marine Institute (INAMAR), the Coastal, Lake and River Police; the Navy; and the municipal police, to prevent the sale of prawns during season.

Source: AIM