Luanda: A vessel carrying 630 kilograms of undersized horse mackerel was seized on Tuesday on Ilha do Cabo, Luanda, by officials from the Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Inspection Centre as part of the 'Clean Beaches' operation.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the head of the Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Inspection Centre, Manuel Delgado, stated that the operation would run for 5 days in the municipalities of Ingombota and Cacuaco. The operation also resulted in the seizure of 7 prohibited fishing gears, under Article 20(d) of the Fisheries Management Measure, established by Presidential Decree No. 39/26. Among the items seized was a beach seine, locally known as 'banda-banda'.
Manuel Delgado described the operation as a success, as the authorities managed, on the first day, to seize a vessel engaged in illegal fishing. 'The banda-banda destroys marine fauna because the fish caught are juveniles, measuring less than 10 centimetres, meaning they are not of commercial size,' he explained. The commercial size of horse mackerel is 22 centimetres, and Delgado advocated for productive and sustainable fishing practices that would enable fishermen to pay their taxes and engage in legal trade.
He emphasized the importance of prohibiting such fishing methods because they destroy marine habitats and seabeds, reducing production capacity. Delgado highlighted the need for every citizen to become 'a fisheries inspector' to preserve marine life. He also noted that the seized fish would be donated to institutions with community kitchens, such as orphanages.
Horse mackerel fishing officially resumed on 1 September 2026, following a 60-day closed season.
