Minister of fisheries and marine resources Derek Klazen says fishing companies continue to catch pilchards despite a moratorium being in place.
The number being caught is, however, quite low, he says.
Klazen said this during a public update on the ministry’s activities in Windhoek on Monday.
“People may think it’s a significant catch, but if you measure the tonnage, it’s maybe just kilogrammes. This doesn’t provide a sustainable yield for a total allowable catch (TAC).”
The ministry implemented a zero TAC moratorium on pilchards five years ago due to the unhealthy state of the stock following the sector’s collapse in the mid-1970s, caused by extensive fishing and unfavourable environmental conditions.
Klazen said the ministry will continue its research programmes to monitor pilchard stocks and will only reopen the sector once stock has recovered.
He was not able to provide data on the amount of pilchards and other fish species caught as by-catch.
“The information is not available.
When ready, it will be made available,” Klazen said.
As for the Sei Whale vessel flagged for illegal fishing in Cameroonian waters in 2021, the minister confirmed it has been cleared for fishing.
He said when vessels are cleared, there is no reason to withhold licences.
The Sei Whale will be part of the government’s employment redressing programme aimed at re-employing fishermen who lost their jobs in 2015 after a strike, as well as those affected by the Fishrot saga.
The ministry has reportedly licensed two other vessels, bringing the total number of horse mackerel freezer vessels to 12.
Some of these vessels will also catch Fishcor’s 8 000 tonnes of horse mackerel.
This seems to contradict the government’s fifth National Development Plan, which aims to increase value addition and investment in onshore processes by increasing more wet-landed fish, intending to create more onshore jobs.
Currently, nearly 80% of horse mackerel is harvested by freezer vessels at sea, leaving the country without processed products.
Klazen said employing the former fishermen is a challenge, and is now being handled by the executive director’s office.
“The government really wants to assist, but now our people are a bit difficult also on their side,” he said.
Confederation of Namibian Fishing Associations chairperson Matti Amukwa said additional freezer vessels would not impact the TAC, as long as it is not exceeded.
“The most important factor is the TAC,” he said.
He said using more vessels has economic consequences, increasing landed costs.
RETRENCHMENT PROPOSAL
Namibian Fishermen United Association chairman Mathew Lungameni said the government should consider offering retrenchment packages to unemployed fishermen, especially those over the age of 55.
He proposed selling a quota and providing N$600 000 to each person to start their own businesses, arguing that the current reemployment programme is not yielding results.
“With a retrenchment package, they could restart their lives,” he said.
Amutoko Stephanus, a fisherman nearing retirement, together with a group of fishermen, have approached the ministry with a proposal for a N$450 000-package per person.
“We are part of the 2015 group and because of our age, we are no longer included in the employment redress programme. We have forwarded our names to the ministry and we are still waiting for a response,” he said.
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