The Cabinet has endorsed the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for pilchard for the remainder of this year's fishing season.

A Cabinet meeting on Tuesday set the TAC for the fish species at 10,000 tonnes.

Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus, announcing the latest cabinet decision, said the tonnes would be set aside for Governmental Objectives for the remainder of the 2025 fishing season. 

Theofelus added that the Cabinet further approved the moratorium to be put in place for at least three years, until the pilchard biomass reaches one million metric tonnes, to increase the possibility of sustainable spawner biomass.

"Cabinet further approved for the total allowable catch to be allocated to a company or companies with processing facilities using environmentally friendly fishing methods and that the fishery caught under this TAC be processed locally."

Cabinet also approved the use of funds from the technical committee of experts account to execute the commissioning of the Calueque permanent pump station—Phase 2. 

"Cabinet took note of the urgent need to complete Phase 2 of the Calueque Permanent Pump Station and the required additional funding to complete the project and approved the following recommendations: a) the withdrawal of funds from the Technical Committee of Experts Account to fund the completion of Phase 2 of the Calueque Permanent Pump Station Project."

NamWater, Theofelus said, will enter into the necessary service contract with the appointed contractor to execute Phase 2 of the Calueque Permanent Pump Station Project.