Windhoek: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani has announced a series of policy reforms to protect Namibia's N$14 billion fisheries sector.According to Namibia Press Agency, these include mandatory reductions in catch for endangered stocks, increased local processing requirements, and climate-resilient resource management. Zaamwani, while addressing the second day of the National Fisheries Indaba in Walvis Bay on Friday, shared findings from a four-month diagnostic review, highlighting that, despite Namibia's strong international reputation for sustainable management under United Nations frameworks, key fish stocks are under considerable pressure and demand immediate legislative action."The evidence also shows that while some fish stocks remain healthy, others are under significant pressure and require immediate attention. The future of our fishing industry depends on the health of our marine ecosystems. Without sustainable fish stocks, there can be no fishing industry , no processing sector, no maritime services, and no livelihoods dependent on them," she said.To safeguard marine biodiversity and ensure sustainable stock viability, Zaamwani advocates for the integration of binding "biological red lines" into national policies and legislation. These legal frameworks, she stressed, will require immediate catch reductions when fish populations dip below safe thresholds. To uphold governance accountability, any executive decision that diverges from established scientific guidance must be formally communicated and justified for public and industry review."This requires us to enshrine clear biological red lines in our policies and laws to act as safeguards that trigger immediate, protective catch reductions the moment a stock falls below safe levels, leaving no room for hesitation when a resource is in danger," she remarked.Zaamwani identified onshore processing as a key strategy to combat coastal poverty and structural inequality and indicated that the proposed framework will transparently allocate future fishing quotas to entities that invest in onshore infrastructure, local jobs, and domestic packaging. She maintained that commercial fishing licenses will be restricted to vessels with majority Namibian ownership and flying the national flag, while domestic initiatives will ensure that nutrient-rich seafood remains affordable.The reform framework will also incorporate environmental adaptations to address climate change in the Benguela Current, including marine heatwaves and low-oxygen events. To address competition for resources between humans and wildlife, the minister proposed a balanced, ecosystem-based management strategy for growing seal populations. This plan promotes the sustainable and commercial use of seals based on scientific data to alleviate pressure on fish stocks while creating local employment and value-added products, she said.