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Photo: Adam Hartman
Fishing
A Publication of
Tuesday 26 February 2019 2 Fishing
REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA
MINISTRY OF FISHERIES AND MARINE RESOURCES
Hon. Minister Benard Esau Hon. Sylvia Makgone Dr. Moses Maurihungirire
Minister Deputy Minister Executive Director
Our profile
MANDATE MISSION
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has a mandate to sus- To responsibly manage living aquatic resources to continuously ensure a
tainably manage the living aquatic resources and promote the aquaculture conducive environment for the fishing and aquaculture sector to prosper.
sector. The mandate of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources is
derived from the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, various policy CORE VALUES
and regulatory instrument established the Ministry in 1991. The primary • Transparency
policy and legislative instruments for MFMR are: • Accountability
• Equity
• The Marine Resources Act 2000 (Act No. 27 of 2000); • Honesty
• The Marine Resources Regulations (Government Notice No. 241, • Loyalty
Regulations relating to the exploitation of Marine Resources, 2001) • Diligence
• Namibia’s Marine Resources Policy: Towards Responsible Devel-
opment and Management of the Marine Resources Sector (August PILLARS AND STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE
2004); and PILLARS
• The White Paper on the Responsible Management of the Inland • Fisheries and aquatic resources management
Fisheries of NAMIBIA (1995); • Effective efficient delivery of fisheries Monitoring, Control and Sur-
• Inland Fisheries Resources Act (No. 1 of 2003); veillance Services
• Aquaculture Policy; • Policy and Legal Framework
• Aquaculture Act 2002 (Act No.18 of 2002), and • Socio-economic development and
• Aquaculture Regulation on Licensing • Operational efficiency
Key Strategic Interventions STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• Rebuilding of the Stock • Encourage scientific advice on the sustainable management of the
• Namibianisation Policy marine ecosystem
• Monitoring, Control and Surveillance • Strengthen compliance with fisheries legislation
• Infrastructure development on Processing Plants • Develop blue economy policy and legal framework
• Strengthen the development of aquaculture
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources is a party to a number of • Improve contribution of value added export s to national economy
regional and international Fisheries Organisations, Commissions, Conven- • Increase employment of value added exports to national economy
tions, Protocols and Treaties and has made provisions of these instruments • Enhance organizational performance
in its policies, programmes and management measures to implement
them at national and regional levels for the benefit of the Namibian and Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR)
SADC people. Therefore, this Ministry welcome all SADC delegates to Head Office Tel: +264 61 2053911 (switchboard)
38thSADC Summit in Namibia, and please enjoy our beautiful ocean and Private Bag 13355 Fax: +264 61 233 286
living aquatic resources. Brendan Simbwaye Square, Block C URL: www.mfmr.gov.na
c/o Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda & Goethe Streets
VISION Windhoek
To be a leading fishing nation with a well-developed aquaculture industry Namibia
Fishing 3 Tuesday 26 February 2019
Walvis Trawl supplying the industry
W
alvis Trawl Import & named Walvis Trawl. Experienced and different iron ware from
Export CC is a long netmakers control all manufactur- Danish manufacturers.
established supplier and ing in the company. Walvis Trawl is the sole agent
assisting fishing company in net They ave been making all types for Marport fish monitoring in
repair and new builds of trawls. of trawls from small monk trawls Namibia and has implemented this
The company was established at to Spanish bottom and semi-pe- new technology to help captains
Walvis Bay in November 1995 lagic trawls to big mid-water find the fish and monitor the trawl
under the name Walvis Trawl (Pty) trawls. and trawl doors.
LTD, then owned by Hampidjan The company has been export- The company is selling trawl
Group from Iceland. ing fully rigged trawls, trawl wire doors from Danish door manu-
In 200, the name of the com- and other goods for trawling, facturer Thyboron Doors. Walvis
pany was changed to Hampidjan mostly to South Africa. Trawl is working closely with
Namibia until Hampidjan Iceland The company has introduced partners in education and helps
sold the company in 2011. quality netting and twine from solving problems that come up
Now the company is owned by Hampidjan Group and Cotesi, when working on different bottom
Asmundur Bjornsson ICE, re- wire from Portugal Oliveira SA grounds.
Walvis Trawl
Walvis Trawl are the sole agent for the Marport’s Deep Sea Technology in Namibia. This
technology is a fish monitoring system which uses a speed and symmetry sensor to aim
and allows for the exploration and monitoring of trawl and trawl doors in order to indicate the
movement of fish in the trawl and codend.
Marport TE-150-NBTE is the compact digital single axis net sounder of the Trawl Explorer family, it
is supplied with the mounting plate allowing easy operation on head rope or tunnel.
Marport compact Trawl Speed TSG-0-00 is the latest product introduced in the market. And It
integrates a high resolution dual axis EM log to measure along and across (Symmetry) speeds.
Furthermore, it is fully compatible with existing trawl speed brackets and receivers.
The unit has pitch integrated and can be set to function as grid sensor; thus making it the most
flexible and technically advanced digital trawl sounder in the world.
Walvis Trawl | Address: Ben Amathila Ave PO BOX 2953,
Walvis Bay | Cell: +264 81 124 2700Email: ice@walvistrawl.com Namibi
Tuesday 26 February 2019 4 Fishing
MFV Oshiveli – Tunacor’s ‘Firstborn’ goes fishing
T
he MFV Oshiveli (oshive- a freezing capacity of 40 tonnes comprises horse mackerel and saws, gutting tables and rotary strapped, this factory is one
li meaning “firstborn” in a day, was partially built in Spain white fish such as hake, which washers; then packing for freez- continuous slick operation.
Oshiwambo) has caught and completed at Walvis Bay. this vessel’s modern high-tech ing in the ship’s blast freezers; MFV Oshiveli is a wel-
her first fish. The factory deck, which is the factory deck is able to complete- or directing the white fish to the come introduction to the age-
In January 2019 during her sea heart of the vessel, was designed, ly process on board. sophisticated Baader heading ing Namibian fishing fleet.
trials off Walvis Bay, the brand built and installed by Bennett’s From controlling the flow of and filleting machine; then on Equipped with her custom-de-
new MFV Oshiveli owned by Engineering in cooperation with fish from the factory “stokka to fillet conveyors for hand-sort- signed and -built factory deck,
Tunacor Fisheries Ltd landed Baader Namibia and Tunacor. pond” inlet by means of hydrau- ing, grading and weighing and this will enable Tunacor Fisher-
her first catch. This installation was completed lically powered elevators and packing into freezer trays before ies Ltd to maximise their catch
The custom-built and-de- in a record time of 22 working conveyors; to the fish sorting being slid into the ship’s plate potential and thus increase
signed 53 metre vessel with a days at Walvis Bay. and grading conveyor; then on freezers; and finally the frozen revenue and employment at
cargo capacity of 500 tonnes and The Oshiveli’s intended catch to heading machines and tail blocks of fillet being boxed and Walvis Bay and Namibia.
Supplied by:
Fishing 5 Tuesday 26 February 2019
Fish project aims to produce more
• LUQMAN CLOETE Namibian, was positive that the fish operations 10 years back. “Currently
farm will soon yield the targeted results we do not sell the fish harvested at the
T
HE Fonteintjie community fish to feed more needy people and to create ponds because the priority is to assist
farm at Keetmanshoop has set job opportunities. the needy people to add high-value
a target of producing one tonne He explained that the six ponds at the protein to their diet,” he added.
of fish per year. farm are each stocked with 2 000 tilapia The fish farm is undergoing a facelift,
The fish farm is run by the Ministry of and catfish each, and that harvesting which includes the construction of a
Fisheries and Marine Resources’ tech- takes place once a year. fence, several buildings, ponds, water
nician, Peter Simasiku, in collaboration “We intend to harvest twice a year supply infrastructure and the installa-
with the //Kharas Regional Council. – after every six months – to reach our tion of septic tanks. The overnment
It was established to create employ- target of producing one tonne of fish invested N$21 million in the renovation
Photo: Luqman Cloete ment for the youth, and to reduce pov- per year,” he said. work, which started in 2014, expected
erty in the local community through the The technician said fish consump- to be completed by February 2016.
FISH FARMING … Fish ponds at the Fonteintjie community fish farm sale of fish to them at affordable prices. tion at the town has increased sig- However, the renovation work is still
at Keetmanshoop. Simasiku, in an interview with The nificantly after the project started its incomplete.
Gendev gears up to scale new heights
G
ENDEV, which prides itself company said. The wet onshore This is for its wet landing and on- 1kg IQF retail bags, Omega polony Krossfjord, and processed onshore to
as the first ever, in the history processing plant, which is 72% shore processing of a value addition made of horse mackerel, and horse sustain full employment at its shore
of Namibia, to open a state- Namibian-owned, was inaugurated horse mackerel quota, wet hake catch mackerel sausages are amongst -based processing plant, as well as
of-the-art horse mackerel onshore in 2014 by fisheries and marine and processing, as well as sea frozen the value-added products that have 20 000 tonnes horse mackerel to be
processing plant, has a long presence resources minister Bernhard Esau. horse mackerel. The workforce due been introduced to the markets and processed and frozen at sea through
in the local fishing industry and is still to onshore processing consists of can already be found in retail stores its investment in the sea frozen vessel
going strong. Initially starting off in Adding value 55% females versus 45% males. throughout Namibia and South Venus 1.”
the pilchard industry, the company Gendev offers ownership in Gendev uses its N$100 million Na- Africa under the brands of Gendev.”
took the decision to reconfigure the N$220 million worth of property, mibian-flagged vessel, Krossfjord, Other contributions
cannery into a wet horse mackerel plant and equipment. The company to catch and land wet horse mackerel Sustained prosperity Gendev has consistently ploughed
onshore processing plant to support is also part owner of N$200 million at its factory to process onshore. The company also added that it back to the community through
the government of Namibia in their worth of vessels, including a long Gendev also uses its N$50 million is committed to support the govern- corporate social responsibility ini-
struggle to bring prosperity to all line hake vessel; a horse mackerel Namibian-flagged vessel, Venus I, ment’s call to bring about prosperity tiatives, while along with its related
Namibians and lift standards of freezing vessel, a vessel to land wet to catch and freeze horse mackerel to all Namibians as per the fifth Na- subsidiaries and associates, has
living through onshore employment horse mackerel for value addition freezer quota on sea. tional Development Plan (NDP5). come up with measures to ensure
created by the fishing industry. onshore, and two small pelagic The vessel owning companies “…and thus during the 2018 right access to quality education for chil-
“This decision of the sharehold- vessels. It has, in addition, offered are majority Namibian. Gendev application process (we) humbly dren in rural areas that would qualify
ers of Gendev has led to major participation in an experienced has spent N$60 million upgrading requested minister Bernhard Esau them to pursue higher education. It
investments in the factory and the fishing, processing, marketing and and expanding its factory to a and the Ministry of Fisheries and also opens markets for the compa-
acquisition of a specialised wet selling group of companies with state-of-the-art onshore processing Marine Resources to grant Gendev ny’s value-added horse mackerel
landing horse mackerel vessel, the established value-added products horse mackerel factory that not only a long-term horse mackerel right products and creates opportunities
Krossfjord using own shareholder and markers, creating through its packs frozen products but also adds and to allocate to their right a 55 for entrepreneurship.
funds and that of local banks,” the operations 939 Namibian jobs. value onshore. “Horse mackerel 000 tonnes of horse mackerel quota, – Article supplied by Gendev
DISTRIBUTION
Currently the Gendev Fishing Group supplies customers in:
Namibia • South Africa • Mozambique • Zimbabwe •
Zambia • Angola • Malawi • And the D.R Congo
Gendev is the market leader in IQF Horse Mackerel 1 kg
packs and currently has 2 Brands
(Gendev Brand exclusively for Shoprite and U-save and
Namibia Fish Brand which is supplied to various other
Retailers within the country and across the border).
ValUe aDDeD pRODUCTS INClUDe:
IQF, Omega fish polonies, Horse mackerel spreads and Horse Mackerel sausages
For more information please visit our website: www.gendevfishinggroup.com
Location: Ben Amathila Avenue No. 98, Walvis Bay | Tel: (+264) 64 274 300
Our IQF retail bags are now available in all Metro branches Country wide Visit any Branch near you
Tuesday 26 February 2019 6 Fishing
Trust
expected to
net 21,4kg fish
per Namibian
• ADAM HARTMAN
T
HE Namibian government has set the con-
sumption target of 21,4kg fish per Namibian
by next year, and the Namibian Fish Con-
sumption Promotion Trust (NFCPT) is tasked to
deliver this.
The target is the
world average per cap-
ita fish consumption.
The chief executive
officer of NFCPT,
Victor Pea, told The
Namibian that, al-
though Namibia is
one of the major fish
producing nations, it
was lagging behind the
world average as far
as fish consumption
is concerned. At the
moment Namibia is at
just over half the target
with 11,4kg per person
a year.
“Namibia needs to
consume, at least, at
the same level as the
world average. There
is an immense health
benefit to consuming
fish regularly,” he said.
This will only be
possible though if the
fishing industry plays
along, which is a chal-
lenge as the trust has to
restructure its strategic
objectives and partner
with industry to meet
the target.
“In order to take this
new target hands-on,
we have started engag-
ing stakeholders with
the view to partner
with the private sector
in fish distribution and
sales locally. This will
further stimulate en-
terprise development,
mainly small and me-
dium size businesses,”
said Pea.
In fact, the NFCPT
signed a collaboration
agreement with the
Ministry of Fisheries
and Marine Resourc-
es, on data collection
and statistics analysis.
“In addition, the
trust is in the process
of collaborations with
the industry to enter
into more partnerships
within the next finan-
cial year,” he said.
NFCPT was es-
tablished in March
2001 per Cabinet res-
olution, and mandat-
ed to promote fish
consumption within
Namibia by making
fish more accessible
and affordable; and
furthermore, to teach
the public how to pre-
pare and cook fish and
in so doing, attain the
most nutritional value
from it.
Fishing 7 Tuesday 26 February 2019
The trust benefits from annual horse
mackerel and hake quotas from the
fisheries ministry, through which local
companies are engaged to offer services
that include the catching of these quotas.
The trust then supplies fish to the local
market at affordable prices, thus enabling FISH CLEANING ... Com-
mercial and recreational
all social classes to afford this normally
ski boat operators gather
‘expensive’ food type.
at Swakopmund’s fish
Pea said in fulfilling this mandate, the clean-up spot nearly on
NFCPT is constantly engaged in finding a daily basis to descale,
mechanisms to extend and cement its gut, rinse, fillet and salt
footprint in Namibia, and in so doing fish – mostly snoek and
“bring nutrition to every household”. kabeljou – caught during
Furthermore, the trust holds cooking the day. The cleaning
demonstrations with regional fish pro- provides jobs for some
motion activities, at trade fairs, cooking of the unemployed locals
seminars and its own national fish con- while fish heads and cut-
sumption day (hosted since 2012). offs are also a treat for
The trust also sells fresh and canned the poor who use such
fish and fishery products, mainly horse leftovers for fish soup.
mackerel, with limited quantities of
other products such as hake and various
by-catches.
Photos: Adam Hartman
“Our mission is to promote the con-
sumption of fish, making it accessible
and affordable in Namibia. Our Vision
is to be the preferred fish distributor in
Namibia,” explained Pea, adding that
both these objectives have been achieved
due to the representation of its outlets
within the country as well as making fish
affordable and accessible.
Since its establishment in 2001, the
trust sold 54 526 tonnes of fish locally.
“However, more still needs to be done,
and we are in the process of revisiting our
vision to capture the new focus of NFCPT
as the institution matures and new fish
consumption targets are set. This is to
ensure that we remain relevant and thus
continue to operate,” he said.
Currently, there are 16 fish shops across
Namibia and within 12 regions, except
Zambezi and Otjozundjupa. Khomas,
Erongo,//Karas and Oshana regions each
have two shops.
Pea said the trust is planning to expand
its footprint to Zambezi before March.
Besides that, it is in the process of
securing land at Otjiwarongo to set up
shop in the 2019/2020 financial year.
Pea said the greatest success to date was
for the trust to promote fish consumption
in 12 regions through its outlets, while the
other two regions are also being covered
by the regional fish promotions that take
place monthly.
There are serious challenges though.
“Our customers are demanding a
variety of fish species in our fish shops
as we mostly only have horse mackerel
and hake due to allocations received from
the fisheries ministry. The challenge is
to have a product mix of by-catches.
However, these products are purchased
at market price, and they are not in
reliable supplies due to their nature of
non-targeted species. ABOUT UUKUMWE SEAL PROCESSSING FACTORY
This poses accessibility and affordabil- The Uukumwe Youth Empowerment Consortium (PTY) Ltd Seal Processing Factory owned and
ity challenges to the trust,” explained Pea. managed by Namibians was inaugurated on the 18th August 2017 in Luderitz by Hon. Bernhardt
Esau, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, with the aim of enabling the processing of Seals
Another challenge is the line ministry’s Pelts, meat, blubber and its by-products, recorded well progress for its second season since it started
requirements for the industry to increase operating. The company also owns fishing rights for Horse Mackerel and Seal.
the national consumption rate to 21,4kg
within a year. The company has completed construction of phase one of the factory mainly consisting of its primary
It forces the trust to restructure its production and phase two will be driven on value-addition, which will include an Oil Refinery amongst
strategic objectives and partner with the others. The factory currently has 36 employees is expected to create more than 50 direct and indirect
fishing industry to meet the target. additional jobs upon the completion of Phase two.
“Getting the private sector onboard
remains a challenge due to conflicting
priorities. However, we are engaging
the industry to establish a middle ground
and attain a win-win situation,” he said.
Pea called upon the business com-
munity, notably fishing companies, to
rally behind the call for more local fish
distribution and sales.
“It’s only through making more fish
available locally that we can attain the
target of 21,4kg. Furthermore, I appeal to
the fishing industry to make themselves
available whenever we call upon them
to either partner with us or participate
in various fish promotion initiatives that
we engage in. I urge all Namibians to
embrace fish as an alternative healthy
source of protein.”
info@uukumweyec.com.na
Tuesday 26 February 2019 8 Fishing
Photo: Adam Hartman
RESEARCH ... The National Marine Information and Research Centre (NATMIRC) knowledge creation and knowledge management; providing access to relevant,
of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources based at Swakopmund, is appropriate and timely information in support of the mandate of the ministry. It
the headquarters for marine specialists; and a national support system for boasts a comprehensive research library and also houses the national aquarium.
Westmed brings medical supplies
and services to your doorstep
• ADAM HARTMAN not only required by hospitals and Westmed reduces the
pharmacies but are crucial for our burden of overnight
W
ESTMED’s vision is to fishing and logistics industries as delivery to Erongo.
be a ‘next-door neigh- well. We stock a large variety of dis-
We stock products
bour’ supplier in medical posables and laboratory products.
goods and services, with the mis- Our gloves are certified for food for same-day delivery,
sion to deliver goods to all medical handling, giving our clients ease making the region
and healthcare facilities in Erongo of mind,” explained Van der Lith. much more efficient.
on the same day. What sets them apart from their – Westmed general
In 2012 Westmed was added competitors, she said, is their strong
to the Avacare Group, and started connections throughout southern manager Mandi van
with a team of only five employees. Africa, which makes them “more der Lith
Since then they have grown to 13 efficient as a whole”.
employees and they have to give “It enables us to provide better
their clients a full range of select- service and products at affordable
ed pharmaceutical products and pricing. Our sales team are fully
a variety of medical equipment, trained and each dedicated to their
disposables and instruments. portfolio ensuring they have full
“Westmed reduces the burden focus on their products and clients,”
of overnight delivery to Erongo. she explained.
We stock products for same-day She said the medical industry
delivery, making the region much requires a large variety of products
more efficient,” Westmed general making stock holding a challenge,
manager Mandi van der Lith told however, with constant communi-
The Namibian. cation to their clients, Westmed
Their equipment is readily avail- strives to have correct and sufficient
able to the public with a technician stock of what the clients require.
available at the coast, and they also As for future plans, Van der Lith
offer maintenance services on all said the business was currently ex-
items they sell, especially their panding its warehouse which will
equipment. On top of that, they do allow them to expand their current Drive, at Walvis Bay. The business
medical inspections on vessels with product range. has two sister companies in Na-
medical facilities. Westmed is situated in the Me- mibia, Erongomed in Windhoek
“Pharmaceutical products are dipark Complex, Dr Putch Harries and Newmed in northern Namibia.
Fishing 9 Tuesday 26 February 2019
Towards a blue economy
• ADAM HARTMAN through rigorous scientific stock assessments,” in the Okavango and Zambezi rivers, involving
he explained. the use of illegal (undersize) nets.
T
he Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Re- To address this situation, Esau said the ministry
sources, for the past 28 years, travelled a Planning has approached the Namibian Police and Namibia
journey of continuous change, exploring The ministry has a five year strategic plan Defence Force to patrol the northern border.
new paths to success and greatness in the quest (2017/2018 – 2021/2022) which is informed by “The fishing industries have shown interest in
to position Namibia to be a leading nation with a the fifth National Development Plan, the Harambee assisting the ministry with resources to increase
well-developed aquaculture industry. Prosperity Plan and guided by Vision 2030. our monitoring coastal patrols. The ministry has Bernhard Esau
“This requires passion and commitment of These planning documents underpin all its de- also succeeded in a coordinated government and
motivated team members, embedded in the reality velopment priorities in the fisheries sector. inter-governmental approach to address this matter
that we will face challenges together, and achieve The fisheries sector in NDP5 has committed to urgently, and resources have been mobilised to menting a TAC scorecard that evaluates the number
successes together. As a team, we have learnt to the following objectives: By 2020, Namibia will this effect. of jobs created per tonne. This focus is in line with
overcome our challenges together, rise above our have implemented a blue economy governance and Our fisheries observer agency and inspectors national goals, and is underpinned by the policy
limitations as well as to exceed our dreams,” fish- management system that sustainably maximises (both inland and maritime) also continue dis- aspiration to enhance distribution of fisheries
eries minister Bernhard Esau told The Namibian. economic benefits from marine resources and charging their responsibilities diligently in order wealth to all Namibians. Employment, together
The Namibian fisheries sector remains lucrative ensures equitable marine wealth distribution to to protect our fisheries,” Esau explained. with resource rent such as taxes, levies and fees;
in the Southern African Development Community all Namibians. In addition, Namibia assented to the UN Ports and corporate social responsibility, are important
with roughly N$10 billion earned in foreign cur- By 2022, Namibia is to be the key fisheries and States Measures Agreement, which aims to prevent tools in this policy objective. Statistics shows that
rency in the 2017/18 financial year. With TAC of processing hub in the South West Atlantic Ocean and deter illegal fishing through the implementation more than 16 510 people were directly employed in
about 530 000 MT per annum, direct employment through increasing the volume of fish handled, of effective port state measures, and thereby to the fishing sector in the 2016/2017 financial year.
in the fishing sector was recorded at about 16 800 canned or processed at Walvis Bay cumulatively by ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable Esau said this number is expected to increase as a
in 2017. This makes the sector the third largest 40%; Implement the current 70/30 value addition use of living marine resources and ecosystems. result of the ministry’s policy objective.
employer after mining and agriculture as well as ratio to the horse mackerel subsector (that is pro- “In 2018 we saw the opening of fish processing
the second GDP contributor after mining. cessing 70% of the fish on land and the rest at sea). Fisheries stock factories and investments in acquiring fishing
The fisheries sector comprises several value The ministry’s strategic plan articulates how Namibia’s fisheries sector is “healthy and sus- vessels. All these investments will lead to em-
chains, starting with fishing, where rights are these governmental objectives will be imple- tainable”, both in terms of stocks, and economically ployment creation for Namibians, particularly
exercised, processing, logistics, supply and many mented. as well, Esau said. the youth,” he said.
other economic activities that lead to employment During the period of 2017/18, the total allowable
creation, skills transfer and GDP earnings for the Monitoring, Control catch (TAC) for various fisheries was 507 276 Trade facilitation
country. and Surveillance tonnes, compared to 521 714 tonnes in 2016/17, Namibia, together with other SADC countries,
Esau said Namibia adopted a “right-based” Namibia, at par with the best managed fisheries representing a marginal decrease of about 3%. concluded the economic partnership agreement
approach to limit access to fishing activities, en- sectors in the world, invested heavily in monitoring, These fish and fisheries products are valued at with the European Union, which is now in force.
suring the sustainable exploitation of this precious control and surveillance activities. These include about N$10 billion, making fisheries the second This agreement not only provides continued du-
resource. a vessel monitoring system, aerial patrol planes largest forex earner for Namibia, after mining. ty-free and quota-free market access to EU markets,
“A fishing right is a sovereign decision by the and patrol vessels capable of enforcing compliance According to Esau, Namibia’s fisheries sector’s but also derogations and cumulations on fisheries.
government, to allow fishing access to its citizens. across its entire exclusive economic zone. total landings range between 510 000 tonnes and This allows Namibian the private sector to source
These policy intentions allow the government to “These measures combine to ensure that Na- 550 000 tonnes annually, 99,5% of this being fish from various countries, add value here in
regulate the marine resources in a sustainable mibia’s fisheries are one of the best managed in marine, whilst inland fisheries and aquaculture Namibia, and export it to EU destinations. It also
manner, in which all the citizens share benefits the world,” said Esau. together contribute about 1 500MT annually. provides for projects to develop sanitary and phy-
from the fish resource. Since independence, we He said challenges remain of illegal unreported tosanitary standards capacity of the private sector
had pursued these policies of ensuring that access and unregulated fishing activities in Namibia’s Jobs vs Tonnes and the ministry. Esau said this is a competitive
to fishing is controlled through issuance of rights, northern maritime border with Angola, as well as The ministry has succeeded in facilitating em- advantage presented to the Namibian fishing sector
and the amount of fish caught is pre-determined illegal activities in Namibian rivers, particularly ployment creation in the fishing sector by imple- to access global fisheries markets.
(Pty) Ltd
NovaNam and Lalandii are Lüderitz based fully vertically integrated fishing and processing companies and
we employ 2.100 people in the country. We are proudly Namibian companies for whom Wealth Creation
through Capital Intensive Industrialisation for the country continues to be our paramount endeavour.
We are looking forward to further broadening our Namibian shareholder base with our Empowerment
Together we work to be the best food company in
Transaction during the course of 2019, which will also directly include each and every one of our Namibian
the market by bringing the freshness of the sea to
employees, our strategic associate partners as well as communities that we serve in. the consumer’s table.
We rely on our brand and innovation to fish, select
and process the best product wherever it maybe.
Our Products We belive our first responsibility is the sustainability
of natural resources and of our partner
communities, whose trust we build and maintain by
acting ethically and creating value.
Our Planet Our Community Our People
We have a very deeply entrenched Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) philosophy and programme, which is premised on four key pillars. These are our Planet, our People, our
Products and our Communities in which we live, operate and do business within. We are fundamentally socially minded companies committed to our mantra, being “the sustainability
of natural resources and of our partner communities, whose trust we build and maintain by acting ethically and creating value”. We are most proud of that fact that our CSR plan is in
direct alignment with the Strategic Plan 2018-2022 of the Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources, as well as the NDP5, Vision 2030 and the Harambee Prosperity Plan.
Tuesday 26 February 2019 10 Fishing
Nam fisheries is no ‘small fry’ – Amukwa
ADAM HARTMAN operational – will “take subjectivity out of the factory at Walvis Bay. Shore-based processing the actual mining offshore,” explained Amukwa.
allocation process” replacing it with the scorecard. allows a greater variety of products to be made On the long-term, climate change is also ex-
L
ANDING around 550 000 tonnes of fish a According to Amukwa, the industry has been than onboard processing. pected to impact the industry and, through marine
year, the Namibian fisheries sector is small involved in the development of the new quota and Mukwa believes that the hake and rock lobster spatial planning and other initiatives, the industry
compared to the landings of a few million final consultations with the Ministry of Fisheries fisheries have not yet reached maximum sustain- is getting informed and will be working towards
tonnes a year in countries such as Peru, Chile or and Marine Resources are expected to take place able yields and there is growth potential in the remedial actions.
even Morocco, but that does not mean Namibia’s soon. biomass, albeit at a very slow pace. Illegal fishing in Namibia’s northern border is
fisheries value is small. In fact, it is a massive pillar Once this is finalised, the weighting of the indi- “This does not preclude the fisheries from add- “very disturbing”, according to him. Fishing also
of the country’s economy. vidual scoring issues will be concluded. ing value and the hake sector is leading the way takes place in the protected areas.
That is according to the chairman of the Con- “More than 5 000 rights applications were by producing large volumes of high quality, high “Fish caught illegally is then dumped in the same
federation of Namibian Fishing Associations, received last year and the process will take more value and convenient consumer products, which market with legal fish, thereby undercutting the
Matti Amukwa. time than expected because the rights applications are retailed in the supermarkets of Europe. The prices of Namibian companies. Illegal fishers don’t
“When looking at the role that fisheries plays require much more detailed information than in rock lobster fisheries is exporting live lobster to pay taxes or government levies. These illegal activ-
within the national economy, it is interesting to note the past. This, again, needs to be verified and the markets in China where the product achieves ities are also counter-productive to the management
that in Namibia, fisheries represents around 7% checked, or even require applicants to provide a premium price,” he explained. measures put in place by the fisheries ministry for
(N$10 billion) of GDP whereas in South Africa, further information, which is a time-consuming the sustainable managing of resources. This fish
which lands more fish than we do, the industry process,” explained Amukwa. Success and challenges is also not accounted for. These illegal activities
only makes up around 2,2% of GDP,” Amukwa “Only once the process has been completed Because Namibia’s fisheries sector is mature, should be stopped sooner rather than later, and
told The Namibian. can the industry and the ministry look back and it is difficult to see big success stories, but rather the industry is more than ready to assist where it
Amukwa elaborated that the large landings of formulate ideas on how to improve the process small, incremental changes that get lost in the can when called upon,” he said.
Peru are predominantly small pelagic fish which in the future. The main interest of the industry is bigger picture.
is turned into fishmeal and oil. that fishing and processing do not suffer from the These ‘small’ developments include new vessels Governance
The Namibian industry, on the one side, produces ongoing process.” joining the fleet, and not just second-hand ones Despite opposition to the government’s fisheries
high quality products which find good acceptance Keeping in mind that the industry comprises that the industry has relied on to date, but vessels management in some circles, Amukwa believes
in the sophisticated European retail markets while different types of fisheries, each concentrating on a constructed to suit Namibian conditions. governance of the sector has been to the benefit
the horse mackerel industry is also contributing particular species, the sectors’ fishing, processing “Other companies have placed orders and of the country.
to food security on the African continent through and marketing are developed around the species their vessels are under construction with delivery “When taking over fisheries at independence,
sales into countries such as Zambia, the Democratic caught, Amukwa said. expected this and next year. Processors extending several stocks were critically overfished, and the
Republic of Congo, Mozambique and to some Central to the fisheries is the fish stock, which value addition are required to invest in plant and government needed to re-build these stocks. A
extent Nigeria. determines what amount of fish can annually be equipment, which is also constantly taking place,” conservative approach to catches has allowed
landed without damaging the biomass. If fishing is he said. resources to grow and be maintained, or otherwise
Developments done at maximum sustainable yield, it means that There is the proverbial ‘shark in the net’ when conserved through moratoriums, such as is the
There are new factors that are helping to define the maximum extraction level has been reached it comes to challenges the industry will be facing, case with pilchard. This all shows we are moving
and position Namibia’s fisheries management. and the fisheries can no longer grow through and that, according to Amukwa, is the potential on the right track,” said Amukwa.
One such fact is the fisheries ministry’s ‘score- increasing the catch rates. threat of marine phosphate mining. He said the ministry has a good team of scientists
card’ that challenges industry participants to meet “This, however, does not mean that the economic “It is vital the government forges ahead with who monitor the biomass in the sea and establish
certain conditions that will benefit the country and benefit from the species cannot increase. On the a long-term research programme, not sponsored the annual total allowable catch while landings
its people, and in so doing the participant will also contrary, through adding value, in other words by potential phosphate miners. This process will are controlled, vessels fitted with individual
enjoy privileges from the government. One primary making the final product more convenient to the take time and will require international assistance. tracking devices and compliance with fishing
privilege is quota allocation. consumer, jobs can be created, and the income It needs to show what the potential impact of gear regulations and seabird scaring devices also
Amukwa explained that the ministry has taken generated from fisheries increased,” said Amukwa. phosphate mining is, not only on the fisheries, well controlled.
the requirements as set down in the Marine Re- Monk, crab and horse mackerel species are but also on the shore environment. Sea mining “Namibia follows the rules of the FAO and is a
sources Act, that rightholders must comply with fished at this maximum yield, and so are looking for phosphate has an onshore component, the member in several initiatives ensuring the long-
if they are to be granted a quota, and established at value addition which, for example, has resulted separation of phosphate, which has not yet come term survival of the fisheries industry,” Amukwa
a scoring and weighting procedure which – when in the building of a land-based horse mackerel under the spotlight but which is inseparable from said.Fishing 11 Tuesday 26 February 2019
Skills are a Challenge to Fishing Sector
T
HE Namibian fishing industry again, work permit requirements can market) to include Italy.
is faced with several challeng- be cumbersome and delay activities. The association’s members reported
es, one of them being the skills Low-level skilled workers are no problems with recruiting proper
requirements for the sector. readily available in the local market, staff; these companies often have
According to the Pelagic Fishing however, and the association stated internal training policies to improve
Association (PFA), its members have that the subsector could employ a lot the productivity of their workers.
realised a growing demand in the more people because long-line fishing They are also able to better retain
southern African market over the past is labour intensive. their workers, especially those enti-
five years. However, their ability to The Namibian Mariculture Asso- ties with year-round operations. The
meet this demand was constrained by ciation said after the global financial main challenge for NHA is recruiting
a lack of capacity and of specialised crisis, production stabilised between skippers and experienced engineers.
personnel on vessels (like engineers, 2012 and 2013 and has been increasing Although the Namibian Maritime
operational/technical personnel). steadily since then. Many of its oper- Fisheries Institute (Namfi) trains
Where there are extreme labour ators opted to diversify production in seagoing personnel, some members of
shortages, members are forced to hire order to cross-subsidise losses in other the association questioned the quality
from abroad, which raises problems product lines. of these training programmes. Some
with Namibia’s work permit system. This expansion is taking place operators send their workers to South
The PFA is advocating better training under difficult conditions because Africa for training.
of sea-going personnel to solve these banks are generally not keen to lend NHA members also complained
issues. to aquaculture. about the lack of transferability of
The Namibia Large Pelagic and The fresh water component is much qualifications, which means that the
Hake Longlining Association gave a better off because of government qualifications of vessel operators
gloomy assessment of the five years support; but the mari-culture subsector trained in Namibia are not recognised
between 2011 and 2016, stating that has not been so lucky; it has to con- in South Africa and Angola, where
since the beginning of seismic opera- tend with a long application process they may seek employment during
tions in the fishing zone, catches have through Agribank to access finance. the off-season.
fallen from a high of 4 600 tonnes Regarding staffing, the mari-culture However, it is anticipated that the
to the current 1 000 tonnes, with the subsector mainly relies on in-house levy on the fishery sector will improve
decline being worse over the past training, especially for managerial po- the availability and the quality of
three seasons. sitions. Operators sometimes manage sector-trained workers. It is also an-
Hope is now pinned on the seismic to find local skippers who then have to ticipated that lobbying of the institute
activity task force and the inter-minis- double up as supervisors to assist with and government should bring about
terial task force on seismic activities operational activities like monitoring standardisation and transferability of
to address the issue of fishery losses water colour and temperature. For this qualifications.
and to pursue the possibility of limiting subsector, recruitment can all be done
seismic activities to the off-season. from the local labour market. – Taken from the African Growth &
Regarding the issue of staffing, the The Namibia Hake Association Development Policy (Agrodep) paper
pelagic and hake association high- gave a bright assessment of the op- titled ‘An Analysis of the Fishing
lighted the problem of recruiting sen- erational environment between 2011 Industry in Namibia: The Structure,
ior and experienced staff, stating that it and 2016, stating that demand was Performance, Challenges, and Pros-
is not possible to find an experienced growing and that there are prospects pects for Growth and Diversification’.
vessel skipper in the local market. to expand the market beyond Spain Paper done by Blessing Chiripanhura
Members have to hire from abroad; (which constitutes 60% of the current and Mogos Teweldemedhin.
/FSF1179
INVESTING IN OUR
MARINE RESOURCES
2018
Completion of a 14,000 m2 fish processing facility, the largest in
Sub-Saharan Africa. Fishcor owns 40%.
2019
The new Pelegic Processing facility, worth N$530 million, began
production in Walvis Bay. It has the capacity to process 600mt
per day and employ over 700 people.
We believe in maximising the benefits from our allocated fishing quotas and
continually look for opportunities to expand our operations, by investing in
projects that will contribute to the industry’s development. This approach
enables us to become a leader in the catching, processing and marketing of
Namibian fish and fishery products, in both local and international markets.Tuesday 26 February 2019 12 Fishing
The Reintegration of Walvis Bay
... years on
ON 28 February, Namibia will commemorate the 25th anniver-
sary of the reintegration of Walvis Bay into the country. Walvis’
reintegration ensured that Namibia’s right to fish freely in part
of its waters and the port assets were returned. In anticipation
of that historic celebration, the following piece by Nick de Voss
reflects on some of the events and persons that helped shape
that part of Namibia’s history. De Voss does not claim to be
absolutely accurate with his version of events, but wrote what
he remembers and what he cherishes.
25
Namibia’s independence arrived in our independence SA set up ‘border invested in terms of infrastructure John Viall. SA technocrats would be
1990. We took possession of our posts’ south of Swakop Bridge and (roads, bridges, schools, other invited to sit on the JAA executive
entire land mass but minus our only between Walvis Bay and Rooikop government buildings, the port, et committee (exco) from time to time.
deep-sea harbour, Walvis Bay, which Airport staffed by SA soldiers. Which cetera), services and telecommu- The JAA’s exco was tasked to
was still firmly under South African Namibian who lived at or visited the nications. negotiate a peaceful settlement
occupation. coast at the time can ever forget the A month after the two governments around the modalities of Namibia’s
In the heady days of our initial provocative searches conducted by signed the Walvis Bay Joint Adminis- claim over the enclave of Walvis
euphoria we marvelled endlessly at young SA conscripts on Namibians trative Authority (JAA) agreement in Bay and the 13 off-shore islands
our new-found freedom and did not and visitors alike on their way to November 1992, the ‘border posts’ with their exotic names: Penguin,
harass South Africa (SA) in terms of Walvis Bay or to Rooikop and back? were abolished, and the JAA started Ichaboe, Plum Pudding, Long Is-
our Constitution, Chapter 1, Article 1 Behind the scenes, in the mean- its work in February 1993. land, Pomona, Albatross, Sinclair,
(4) which states: “The national terri- time, Namibia’s former consummate A chief executive officer (CEO) Halifax, Possession, Seal, Mercury
tory of Namibia shall consist of the diplomat, the late Theo-Ben Gurirab, was appointed on each side – Nan- and Holam’s Bird.
whole of the territory recognised by and his then SA counterpart, the golo Mbumba who would represent With the exception of one exco
the international community through late Pik (Roelof) Botha, were putting Namibia, and the late former SA meeting held in Cape Town, all the
the organs of the United Nations out feelers about our government’s ambassador to the UN, Carl von others took place at Walvis Bay.
as Namibia, including the enclave, claim that Namibia’s independence Hirschberg, who would be the SA Issues discussed centred around
harbour and port of Walvis Bay, as could never be complete without envoy. Each CEO was assisted by education, health, social welfare,
well as the off-shore islands of Na- Walvis Bay’s reintegration. a group of advisers: Mbumba had fisheries, immigration, the Walvis
mibia, and its southern boundary It was an uphill battle though, as me (Nick de Voss) as administrator; Bay port including the synchro lift,
shall extend to the middle of the SA’s National Party would not easily Sackey Akweenda as legal expert; the value of government assets,
Orange River”. be swayed to compromise on the the late Joop Robberts as financial ownership transfers, and expecta-
The following year and the one strategic importance and territorial adviser; and Jason Angula as com- tions of Walvis Bay residents, among
thereafter came and went and the integrity of the enclave of Walvis Bay munity adviser. others.
ownership of Walvis Bay did not where so much of SA’s resources Von Hirschberg was assisted on The JAA collaborated closely with
change hands. Immediately after over so many decades had been a full-time basis by his legal adviser bureaucrats in Windhoek at centralTuesday 26 February 2019 13 Fishing government level: the Office of the rived, the JAA organising committee, off-shore islands. An unforgettable offices to thank the team members President; the Office of the Prime in collaboration with our central gov- pyrotechnic display lit up the night sky. individually for a job well done – then Minister; various line ministries such ernment colleagues – especially those Gifts big and small were exchanged, home affairs minister, former president as finance; mines and energy; en- at foreign affairs, the Presidency, and friendships were formed. The Hifikepunye Pohamba. vironment and tourism; education; Office of the Prime Minister, finance, reintegration celebrations reminded agriculture; justice and others. home affairs and justice – were ready us strongly of the joyous atmosphere – Nick de Voss was the right-hand We also developed healthy work- to receive the guests. at Namibia’s independence in 1990. man of Nangolo Mbumba. Mbumba ing relationships with parastatals Thabo Mbeki, Kobi Coetzee, Sonya Gifts I will always cherish were a was the chief executive officer for the NamPower, TransNamib, NamPost Gandhi and Jerry Rawlings were beautiful box of aromatic Indian tea Joint Administrative Authority, a body and Telecom. some of the high-profile guests at which I received from Ms Sonya Gan- which was tasked to oversee the re- The JAA entered into serious dia- the wonderful celebrations of the dhi and a personal visit by the only integration of Walvis Bay from South logue with the Walvis Bay municipality reintegration of Walvis Bay and the Namibian leader who came to the JAA Africa to Namibia on 28 February 1994. (represented by then mayor Manuel Castro and the town council), repre- sentatives of fishing companies and owners of other business entities. The late Swapo firebrand, Nathaniel Maxuilili, Jack Brown, Jan Wilkens, Bryce Edwards, and numerous ordi- nary residents, politicians and busi- ness personalities frequented the JAA offices and made their views known to us. We visited schools and com- munities and explained our mission with them and were received with open arms. On 16 August 1993, ironically on Mbumba’s birthday, events which would accelerate the Walvis Bay is- sue and make the enclave’s return to Namibia irreversible, took shape in SA. SA’s major political parties were in the midst of the Codesa (Convention for a Democratic South Africa) talks in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, when a PAC (Pan Africanist Congress)- sponsored resolution – secretly co- authored by Namibia – was unani- mously adopted: It stipulated that the two governments should meet to resolve any outstanding issues on Walvis Bay and set a date for the transfer of the enclave to Namibia. Soon after this, Mbumba was ap- pointed as agriculture minister and succeeded by Petrus Damaseb as Namibian CEO on the JAA. On 8 September 1993, Gurirab and Botha, at a meeting in Pretoria, set 28 February 1994 as the date on which Walvis Bay was to be reintegrated into Namibia. Only six months remained to map out the details and organise the handover ceremony. Technocrats and legal experts from both countries had the arduous task of drafting detailed agreements for the handover of inter alia the port’s assets; laws had to be drafted and adopted by both governments’ parlia- ments; there were the questions about who of the senior port staff would be retained, and who would return to SA; government buildings had to be trans- ferred to the Namibian government; and postal and telecommunications services had to be integrated into the Namibian state-owned enterprises as was done with all other local authori- ties in 1990 at independence. The two countries’ defence minis- tries had to organise the handover of the military airport at Rooikop. Other arrangements included invitations to, and transport and accommoda- tion for, the thousands of local and foreign guests expected to converge on Walvis Bay for the reintegration celebrations. When 28 February eventually ar-
Tuesday 26 February 2019 14 Fishing
DESIGN, MANUFACTURE,
INSTALLATION OF
REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS
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TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE and improving the plant efficiency. The automation
QUALITY of the installation allows its easy control through
The efficient response provided by our staff is a touch screen and the remote processing of the
At present, a quality certificate has become a highly valued by our clients and this is an important same. 16th Street Erf 564 Walvis Bay,
necessary introduction letter for any worldwide pillar at the moment of hiring our services. P. O. Box 4131,
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Tel (+264) 221134,
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service of the refrigerating plant to all its clients so
as to meet the regulations in force. In addition toFishing 15 Tuesday 26 February 2019
Namibia’s fish the coolest catch around with Mecal
• ADAM HARTMAN introducing the latest technology to
this industry.”
W
ALVIS Bay Mecal Re- The company also understands
frigeration Technologies that it is also a competitive industry
operate under the Export and therefore top service delivery,
Radopa Group Namibia under the technology and quality are prior-
roof of its brand new N$20 million ities in its business which it faces
facility at Walvis Bay. head-on.
The company was established Mecal is currently working on its
in 2010 and focuses on industrial N$5,3 million project in Angola that
refrigeration for the fishing indus- will have a freeze capacity of 4,5
try, which includes vessels, fish tonnes per hour and they claim that
processing factories and land and it will also be the biggest capacity
onshore projects. freeze tunnel installed in Africa.
“Refrigeration is a vital com- Mecal’s branches are in Spain
ponent as far as fishing is con- (headquarters), Cape Town and
cerned,” said Mecal’s Rafael Dopazo Namibia, and the company employs
Sanchez, explaing that the company 34 people.
assembles its own refrigerator units, Sanchez says Walvis Bay Mecal
ice machines and chiller makers, is the only company in Namibia that
“We saw an opportunity to serve fish- can design any refrigeration project
eries through project management, from the start to the end with the most
development and implementing and advanced technology in the market.
Fishing Associations and Firms’ Perspectives
THERE are seven associations in Development, to grant manufacturing they do not own any vessels (as they HAKE SECTOR TOPS ALL their footing in the Chinese market.
Namibia’s fishery sector: the Pelag- status to PFA members; this would do not have control over the supply The hake subsector is the most pros- Because of stringent market access
ic Fishing Association (PFA), the give them tax relief so that they can of the raw material). perous of the fishery sectors; it is also conditions, the fishing companies
Namibia Hake Association (NHA), build the capital base to invest in The NTHLA called for value the most advanced sub-sector and is a export to China indirectly.
the Midwater Trawling Association new vessels. addition to fishing rights so that its major contributor to both government At present, lobster goes to China
(MTA), the Namibian Monk and Sole The NTHLA noted that the main members can generate more income revenues and employment. via Hong Kong, rather than directly
Association (NMSA), the Namibian challenge facing its members are high in order to build the capital to buy The NHA has been working with as a Namibian product.
Tuna and Hake Longlining Associ- operational costs, particularly due to their own vessels. the government to land the bulk of its In addition, access to finance is a
ation (NTHLA), the Namibia Large the majority of foreign-owned vessels The association proposed that, catch (70%) for onshore processing. major limitation to expansion. The
Pelagic and Hake Longlining Associ- (mainly from South African coun- since the fishing season runs for only However, the association felt the fact that quota levels in the next pe-
ation (NLPHLA), and the Namibian tries) that operate in the region. Of six months of the year, of which South playing field in the hake subsector is riod (following year) are not known
Mariculture Association (NMA). the association’s seven locally owned African vessels come for only one to skewed in favour of companies with makes financial institutions hesitant
vessels, only two were seaworthy at three months, there is a need for both large freezer capacity, as these com- about lending to licence holders. It
General conditions the time a survey was done in 2016. more local vessels that can operate for panies have lower incentive to land may be necessary to ensure that allo-
of operations This big dependence on South the full six months and other activities their catch onshore because frozen cated quotas are not changed beyond
The PFA expressed concern about African vessels shows the vulnera- to occupy the remaining six months. fish can be exported from offshore. a certain level (for example, 10%)
the underutilisation of capacity dur- bility of the fisheries sector in the The NTHLA proposed that the They suggested that the government per year so as to increase financial
ing the off-season. Its members end sense that if no vessel comes from quotas should, as in earlier years, must establish a formula that ensures institutions’ confidence in fisheries
up with substantial surplus capacity, South Africa, then there will be no include harvesting other fish species, that companies with large freezer operators. Regarding value addition,
which could be used to process other long-line fishing. Many quota owners such as horse mackerel or hake. This capacity land a reasonable portion the NHA sees a lot of potential among
types of fish. Some firms already do cannot put together enough money to would eliminate the seasonality of of their catch. This could be done its members. New companies are
this by stocking and/or importing buy their own vessels, and financial operations, and processing capacity through tying quota allocations to innovating and coming up with new
frozen fish, which they then process institutions are reluctant to lend the could then be established. amounts landed for processing and products, and there is the potential to
during the off-season. required amounts of money. Like the PFA, the NTHLA also the number of jobs sustained. produce more specialised cuts of fish
The PFA members mainly sell In addition, fishery operations cited access to finance as a big bot- and to enter secondary processing
their fish to South Africa, where their are threatened by seismic activities tleneck; the association also pointed LACK OF to produce fish fingers, ready-made
product is in high demand. There has stemming from oil explorers and to high interest rates as inhibiting RENOWNED BRAND meals, etc.
not been much effort to expand their drilling companies want to operate growth. Members of the NHA face a number However, these advanced process-
market regionally, for two reasons. their rigs during the fishing season, A main concern was that the of bottlenecks. ing stages require the cooperation of
First, there is still unsatisfied de- which interferes with fishing and international quota for Namibia is First, they find it very challenging the ministries of finance and indus-
mand on the South African market; fishing stocks. continuously being reduced because to enter new markets because of a lack trialisation. The latter would need to
second, the regional market is highly The bulk of the fish harvested by Namibian fisheries are failing to of knowledge and specialty marketing grant operators manufacturing status
price sensitive such that the profit NTHLA members is exported. South meet it. skills. There is no renowned Namibian so that they can get rebates that would
margins are very low. African vessels used in their fishing The NTHLA’s fear is that its mem- fish brand, and the government some- allow them to build capital and invest
Moreover, there is high competi- operations buy all the fish caught at bers may lose the international quota times have differing requirements that in more machinery.
tion in the region from Chinese and an agreed-upon price. These prices altogether, or that it could become make exporting difficult. * This is an excerpt from the Afri-
Thai products that are both lower are low, implying a low return on the so small that some fishery operators One example is the difference can Growth & Development Policy
quality and lower price. fish caught. would have to leave the industry. between the ministry of agriculture (Agrodep) paper titled ‘An Analysis of
The PFA stated that one of its main Lack of local value addition means In addition, there is no guarantee and the Ministry of Fisheries and Ma- the Fishing Industry in Namibia: The
challenges is the high cost of capital, that potential jobs are exported to that Namibia will be able to push for rine Resources regarding trade with Structure, Performance, Challenges,
given the high cost of vessels. It also South Africa. its quota to be increased since what China. While agriculture has been and Prospects for Growth and Diver-
argued that there is a need for the However, for operators, it makes it loses is allocated to other countries negotiating for direct exports of beef sification’. Blessing Chiripanhura and
government, through the Ministry sense to export their fish because they (e.g. Taiwan) that are always able to to China, fisheries tends to leave it to Mogos Teweldemedhin did interviews
of Industrialisation, Trade, and SME cannot invest in fish processing when meet their (new) quotas. individual fishing companies to find with the Namibian fishing sector.You can also read
