For more than 40 years residents have lived with the unpleasant smell because it was "the smell of money".

Most residents were also connected to the fishing industry in some way.

But Walvis Bay is no longer just a fishing town.

The city has discovered its tourism potential and the income that could be generated from that industry.

So the smell has got to go otherwise the tourists won't come.

Some tourists have said they would not return because of the smell.

The action plan of the Local Agenda 21 programme of the Walvis Bay Municipality addresses pollution issues in the city, of which air quality is an important one.

It is possible to get rid of the very strong odour generated by the fish meal plants, according to Willie Hall, business area manager of the food technology and consultation unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa.

He and a colleague are working with the fish meal factories on the problem.

Hall said if Hout Bay in South Africa, which is a fishing town and a major tourist destination, could manage to do it, there was no reason why the same could not be done in Walvis Bay.

The solution is to install a chemical scrubber on top of the factory stack that will deodorise the stack.

"The scrubber alone will not remove all odours, but it will definitely improve it by removing the most offensive smells," said Hall.

He said a factory at Hout Bay spent N$8 million to implement a complete system, but in the current economic climate and with small pelagic quotas it would be unrealistic to expect factory owners in Walvis Bay to do the same.

"You can't expect fishing companies to spend such money when they are not earning it".

Installing the scrubber alone would cost about N$20 000, while running it would cost between N$20 to N$200 per hour.

Three types of fish meal are being processed at Walvis Bay.

Fish meal from industrial fish, mainly horse mackerel, from December to May; offal from pilchard canneries from May to July, and anchovies from August to December.

Climatic conditions, especially the wind direction and strength, play an important role at the time of production of fish meal.

When there is no wind the odours settle in town.

When the prevailing south westerly wind blows the smells are dispersed or when a north wind blows the odours are blown into town.

Hall said another factor that could help to reduce odours would be to schedule production according to climatic conditions.

The Etosha factory will be the first to try out the scrubber on a trial basis before other factories will follow.

Hall said so far they have had full co-operation from the industry.

The air quality section of the LA 21 programme forms part of an environmental management system that the players in the industry will be implementing.

The overall aim of the system is to reduce waste production.

It looks at reducing organic waste in water used in the process, the reduction of "fish water" that flows into the harbour when off-loading at the factories, and the reduction in odour emissions from the fish meal plants.

The overall aim of the system is to reduce waste production of "fish water" flowing into the harbour during off-loading (see lighter area of water in harbour around fishing vessels) and the odour emissions from the fish meal plants (see white smoke from fish meal plant).

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