Small pelagic stock assessment in Angola: strengthening the science behind sustainable catches

From October 19 to 23, 2026, a team from the AIR Centre returned to Luanda for a working meeting with colleagues from Angola’s National Institute of Fisheries and Marine Research (INIPM), the University of the Azores and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). This is the second year of a partnership that supports the scientific assessment of Angola’s small pelagic fish stocks. Last year’s meeting laid the scientific groundwork for the 2026 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) recommendations for the country’s three main small pelagic resources: Sardinellas, Cunene horse mackerel and Chub mackerel.

This year the team had two goals - to prepare the scientific recommendations for managing small pelagic fisheries in the coming year, which will be integrated into INIPM report to be presented at the next Integrated Fisheries Management Council; and prepare a full assessment report for independent external review.

Alongside the technical work, the team discussed what is needed to take Angola’s stock assessments to the next level, from better coverage of biological sampling to closer integration of environmental data.

This working meeting builds on the commitment the partners made in 2025 to provide continuing technical and scientific support to INIPM, and is a further step in international cooperation for the sustainable management of Angola’s marine resources.

[AF, 27 October 2026]