As a direct result of the effort by distant-water fleets, Namibia at independence inherited an altered ecosystem well below its productive capacity (Roux and Shannon 2004). Sumaila and Vasconcellos (2000) estimated that foreign fishing effort cost Namibia 50% of the economic rent that could otherwise have been obtained. Unsurprisingly, when Namibia took over the management of its marine resources in the early 1990s the main focus was on rebuilding Namibian commercial fish stocks and fisheries.