Buying Namibian hake, horse mackerel and seafood: a guide for European, regional and Asian importers
Namibia is one of Spain’s largest hake suppliers and Central Africa’s protein source for frozen horse mackerel, with oysters, rock lobster and crab for Asia. The species and product forms, who processes and exports, MSC certification, the EU establishment listing and catch certificate, how to contract, and the regional trade by road.
Namibia's cold Benguela waters support one of Africa's most productive fisheries. Hake, processed into fillets and portions at Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, goes mainly to Spain and the rest of the EU; frozen horse mackerel feeds Zambia, the DRC, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and West Africa; oysters, rock lobster and deep-sea crab go to Asia.
The industry is quota-based and tightly regulated. Fish for the EU must come from an EU-listed establishment with a catch certificate validated by the Ministry of Fisheries; every consignment carries an NSI health certificate.
Namibian hake has held Marine Stewardship Council certification since 2020, which matters to Northern European retailers.
Species and product forms
| Species | Product forms | Main markets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape hake (Merluccius capensis and paradoxus) | Skinless boneless fillets, portions, loins, headed and gutted, interleaved and individually frozen; fresh fillets by air | Spain, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Germany | MSC-certified fishery; size grades by fillet weight |
| Horse mackerel (Trachurus capensis) | Whole round frozen at sea in 20 to 30 kg cartons, size graded | DRC, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon | Volume fishery; price per carton delivered inland |
| Monkfish | Tails, frozen | Spain, Italy, Far East | By-catch and directed fishery |
| Rock lobster | Live, whole frozen, tails | China, Japan, Hong Kong | Lüderitz; small quota, high value |
| Deep-sea red crab | Sections, clusters, meat | Japan, Spain | Specialised; few operators |
| Oysters (Pacific) | Live, graded by size | Asia, South Africa, domestic hospitality | Farmed at Walvis Bay and Lüderitz; fast growth in cold nutrient-rich water |
| Pilchard and other small pelagics | Canned, frozen | Regional | Fishery under pressure; limited |
Who exports
Hake is caught by trawl and longline under rights and quota from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and processed by a dozen or so companies at Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, several with Spanish shareholders and decades-old customers in Galicia. Horse mackerel is caught by midwater trawlers and sold by the rights-holding companies and their agents into Central and West Africa. Oysters are farmed by a handful of operators in the lagoons. Rock lobster and crab are small, specialised fisheries. The Ministry publishes the rights holders; the EU publishes the listed establishments.
Certification and documents
| Document or certification | Issued by | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| EU establishment listing | European Commission, on the Namibian competent authority's recommendation | Fish for the EU is accepted only from listed vessels and factories |
| Catch certificate | Validated by the Ministry of Fisheries under the EU's IUU regulation | Proves legal catch within quota; no certificate, no EU clearance |
| Health certificate | Namibian Standards Institution, the competent authority for fish inspection | Fitness for human consumption; required by every market |
| MSC chain of custody | MSC-accredited certifier | Allows the MSC label on hake products in Europe |
| Certificate of origin or EUR.1 | Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Duty-free EU and UK entry; SADC entry for regional trade |
| Export permit and declaration | Ministry of Fisheries; NamRA via a clearing agent | Legal export |
How to contract
- Hake: annual or seasonal programmes with a processor, by product form, size grade and glaze percentage, priced per kilogram CFR or CIF a European port; the October closed season and quota announcements shape availability.
- Horse mackerel: quarterly contracts with a rights holder or its agent, priced per carton, delivered by reefer truck to Lusaka, Lubumbashi or Harare, or by sea to West African ports; the buyer's import permit is usually required.
- Oysters, lobster and crab: rolling orders with the farm or operator, by air, with live survival and size the key terms.
Hake specifications that decide the price
Two hake quotes per kilogram are rarely for the same product. The size grade, the product form, the glaze and the freezing method all move the price, and a buyer who fixes them in writing avoids most disputes.
| Term | What to specify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Size grade | Fillet weight bands (for example 60 to 120 g, 120 to 200 g, 200 to 300 g, 300 g plus) | Larger fillets command a higher price per kilogram; mixed grades are cheaper and harder to sell |
| Product form | Skin-on or skinless, boneless, pin-bone in or out, portions cut to weight, loins, headed and gutted | Each processing step adds labour and yield loss, priced in |
| Freezing | Frozen at sea or land-frozen; interleaved, individually quick frozen or block | Sea-frozen is prized for texture; IQF commands a premium over block |
| Glaze | Net weight after de-glazing, and the glaze percentage | You pay for water otherwise; European labelling rules require the net fish weight |
| Packaging | Carton weight, inner packs, retail or bulk, labelling language, MSC logo use | Retail-ready packing in Namibia saves a step in Europe |
| Incoterm and shelf life | CFR or CIF a named port; remaining shelf life on arrival | Frozen fish has a long life but retailers want a minimum on arrival |
How the price is formed
Hake is priced from the Spanish wholesale market backwards. Processors at Walvis Bay know what Mercamadrid and the Galician importers are paying for each size and form, subtract freight, insurance and their margin, and quote CFR Vigo or Algeciras accordingly. The quota announced by the Ministry each fishing season, the October to November closed period and the state of the Argentine and South African hake catches move the market. A buyer who can take mixed sizes or less popular forms in the months when the processors are long of them buys well. Horse mackerel is priced per carton delivered inland, driven by the catch, the price of alternative protein (chicken and imported pelagics) in Zambia and the DRC, and the cost of reefer trucking from Walvis Bay, which runs about 2,000 kilometres to Lusaka and further to Lubumbashi.
A first order, step by step
- Check the establishment against the EU list for your market, or the equivalent list for other markets, and ask for the establishment number.
- Specify the product using the table above, and ask for a sample carton by air if the value justifies it.
- Agree the price and terms: per kilogram net, Incoterm, payment (first orders usually by letter of credit or deposit and balance against documents), inspection rights at loading.
- Confirm the documents that will travel: catch certificate, NSI health certificate, EUR.1 or certificate of origin, invoice, packing list, bill of lading and temperature log.
- Arrange import clearance on your side early; a catch certificate must be lodged with your authorities before the fish arrives in the EU.
- Review the first consignment on arrival against the specification, with photographs and weights, before placing the programme.
Questions importers ask us
Is Namibian hake sustainable? The hake trawl and longline fishery has held MSC certification since 2020, managed under total allowable catches set annually by the Ministry on scientific advice.
Can a new European buyer get hake volume? Yes, though the processors' Spanish customers have long relationships; a new buyer usually starts with specific product forms or sizes the processors want to place.
How do we verify a horse mackerel seller? Ask for the rights holder's name and the quota under which the fish was caught, the NSI certificate from a previous consignment and the exporter's customs code. Traders exist legitimately but must be able to name the rights holder.
How we help buyers of Namibian seafood
Chrimson Consultants registers Namibia's exporters, so we know which seafood suppliers hold their permits and which do not. For international buyers we source from verified suppliers at 4% of the FOB shipment value, invoiced when the export documents are handed over. No retainer, no exclusivity, no margin on the goods. Supplier verification (business registration, exporter registration, sector permits, tax standing, a previous shipment's documents) is at our cost, and we run the export paperwork for every consignment so the documents arrive complete and the goods clear.
Send a buyer enquiry with the specification, volume, Incoterm and timing. We reply within one working day with what is available and what we have verified. Namibian producers reading this: tell us what you have; buyer enquiries are matched to verified suppliers first.
Sources
- Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
- Namibian Standards Institution: fish inspection
- Marine Stewardship Council: Namibia hake fishery
- European Commission: approved establishments and IUU catch certificates
Sources accessed 8 November 2026. Volumes, prices, duties and rules move: confirm with the organisation named before you commit.
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