Namibia

Namibia’s Marine Resources Act 27 of 2000 provides the foundational legal framework for marine resource management, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and exploitation controls. However, its direct relevance to kelp is limited, as the Act primarily regulates commercial fisheries. Under its provisions, only 10 kg of seaweed may be harvested, and beach-cast seaweed—mainly kelp—is collected through a concession system governed by the Act. Despite limited kelp-specific governance, kelp habitats benefit from broad incidental protection: nearly the entire coastline (excluding municipal townlands and villages) is designated as protected land. Four major terrestrial national parks, including Namib-Naukluft and Skeleton Coast, extend from the low-water mark inland, covering most of Namibia’s 1,572 km coastline. Namibia has also established the Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area (NIMPA), spanning ~400 km along the coast and extending ~30 km offshore, covering 117,946 km²—roughly 21% of Namibia’s EEZ. Namibia has also become home to Africa’s first kelp farm, located near Lüderitz in southern Namibia within the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem. Operated by the Dutch company Kelp Blue, the farm is currently in a pilot phase, with plans to expand cultivation of non-native giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) from 15,000 hectares to 70,000 hectares.