REBUILDING FISHERIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES – 15 ECONOMICS OF REBUILDING FISHERIES: CASE STUDIES OF FISHERIES REBUILDING PLANS © OECD 2012 Two Decades of Rebuilding Fisheries in Namibia

This paper describes the management response to the collapse of fisheries, and the Namibian hake fishery in particular, from 1990, the year of the independence. While Namibia is considered one of the few success stories of fisheries management in the world, the fact that Namibia is a developing country and that rebuilding fisheries started with the late independence of the country makes it unique. The first section describes the background of this case study, primarily regarding the current fishing industry and its considerable contribution to the national GDP and how it compares with the situation prior to 1990. The same chapter then details the institutional framework and management plan that led to the rebuilding of fisheries, from 1990 starting with the hake fishery. Subsequently, the paper analyses the elements that are remarkable to the rebuilding of hake fisheries from an institutional, economic and social perspective. Last, building on the key findings from this case study, the paper identifies some key lessons contributing to the success of rebuilding plans in the case of developing country fisheries, but also of relevance to OECD countries. General informatio