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The fisheries subsector comes under the responsibility of the Angolan Ministry of Fisheries. The Ministry has a national directorate for fisheries management (National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DNPA)), a national directorate for fisheries infrastructure (National Directorate of Fisheries Infrastructure and Industry (DNIIP)), three government institutes (Fisheries Research Institute, Institute for the Development of Small Scale Fishing, and Fisheries Industry Support Institute), and an Inspection and Surveillance Division.

The Ministry of Fisheries is fully empowered to regulate fisheries, for example, by determining minimum mesh size, fishing zones and authorized fishing gear. Fishing rights are granted for a period of 20 years and may be inherited and individually transferred subject to permission from the Minister, with some limitations. Each fishing quota is transferred with the fishing rights. They are awarded by public tender; preference is nonetheless given to Angolan nationals. Under certain circumstances, the Minister may authorize the partial or temporary transfer of a fishing quota. Subject to ministerial authorization, a fishing quota may be used as a guarantee for obtaining a loan.

The legal basis for fisheries in Angola is Fisheries Law No. 6 A/04 of 8 October 2004 and subsequent regulations. It provides for a fisheries management regime based on a total authorized catch (TAC) determined annually for each fishery, and for limiting access by means of licences/quotas, as well as closed seasons and mesh size regulation. These management measures are reviewed periodically, in particular depending on stock assessment findings and estimates of the fleet's economic performance.

The Government attaches great importance to this subsector. Under the 2013 2017 national development plan, the fisheries subsector has three main aims: (i) to generate employment by attracting investment; (ii) to protect the marine environment, particularly by controlling foreign vessels operating in Angolan waters; and (iii) to help mitigate poverty, in particular among people living in the coastal provinces.

Angolan or foreign individuals and companies wishing to conduct mining operations on Angolan territory may apply for mining concession rights in accordance with the provisions of the Mining Code and the Private Investment Code (Law No. 20/11 of 20 May 2011). Applications must be accompanied by documentary proof of the applicant's integrity, technical and financial capabilities, and ability to satisfy the environmental requirements stipulated in laws and international conventions. (...)

(...) The law requires mining companies to set aside 5% of the capital invested (in addition to the deposit required under commercial legislation), to cover the closure of the mine and the restoration of the environment.

The Mining Code also establishes the general tax regime for the mining subsector, which has four components (...) Companies must also set aside a provision to cover environmental restoration costs. (...)

To encourage private investment in areas deemed priority, the Government is promoting reward systems. Priority is being given to the following actions: ice production and cold storage networks in areas where this could add value to small scale fisheries products; support for small scale fleets and marketing of small scale catches; industrial exploitation of untapped fishing resources or of new fishing areas; renewal and expansion of the semi industrial fishing fleet; creation of fish processing facilities; and promotion of marine shrimp farming.

(...) Each vessel has a fishing licence awarded in accordance with the fishing right reserved for Angolans, which stipulates an annual fishing quota per vessel. The Ministry of Fisheries sets quotas depending on the findings of annual studies on the state of resources (carried out by the National Fisheries Institute). The Ministry allocates the quotas among private operators. Trawling is prohibited. (...)

The National Development Plan ("Plano Nacional de Desenvolvimento") for the period 2013 17 establishes a total volume of 454,850 (four hundred and fifty-four thousand eight hundred and fifty) tons of fish production, in industrial, semi-industrial, artisanal (marine and continental) and aquaculture, and a production of 120,000 (hundred and twenty thousand) tons of salt and of 40,000 (forty thousand) tons of dry fish, and of 60,000 tons for aquaculture products.