The operational structure of the entire fishing industry will be high on the agenda.

The fisheries sector, which contributes roughly N$4 billion to the economy per annum and comes second after mining, has suffered over the past four years due to escalating fuel prices, dwindling fish stocks, especially pilchards, high operational costs and a strong Namibian dollar during 2005-06, which largely dented export profits.

Factories had to close and retrenchments happened.

"The conference will attract over 200 delegates, which include marine scientists, fisheries managers, non-governmental organisations and seafood experts," Frans Tsheehama, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry said yesterday.

"Special focus will be on fisheries management, resource status, product certification, improved access to international markets and investment."

The conference will be held at Swakopmund from September 24 to 26.

According to Tsheehama, environmental issues, climate change and consequential effects on the fishing industry will also come under the spotlight.

"Discussions will evolve around trans-boundary management of shared fish stocks, links between fisheries and the environment, pollution and the effects of seabed mining."

Over the past two years, the Ministry closed certain marine areas to fishing for a month to protect fish stock, while the quota for pilchards has remained at a low 15 000 tons due to dwindling bio mass.

Namibia's fledgling oyster industry and the rock lobster sector this year were dealt heavy blows with several red tides occurring, resulting in severe oxygen deficiency, which killed millions of oysters.

Thousands of rock lobsters moved to beaches and ministerial officials, assisted by local volunteers, collected tonnes of lobsters and temporary sheltered them at the Swakopmund aquarium and released them back into the sea after the red tide spells subsided.

The Namibian has it on good authority that the government plans to throw a lifeline at the oyster industry and put support measures in place.

Tsheehama would not disclose any details yesterday, but said his ministry had made a submission to the Cabinet and the matter was discussed on Tuesday's Cabinet meeting.

Another phenomenon hitting Namibia's offshore water is the huge increase in jelly fish.

They feed on fish eggs of several fish species, thus reducing fish stocks.

Fishing companies also have to deal with damaged nets because the sheer weight of jelly fish inadvertently caught breaks the nets.

The fisheries sector contributes about 8 per cent to the gross domestic product.

Around 600 000 metric tonnes of fish are landed annually of which 90 per cent is exported to Europe, the US and Asia.

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