The fisheries ministry says Namibian fishing quota holders are allowed to enter private commercial agreements with third parties, following a disputed horse mackerel deal.
This disputed agreement involved a Democratic Republic of Congo-linked entity and Namibian fishing companies.
In a written response, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform says fishing rights remain restricted to Namibians.
“The fishing rights are only limited to Namibians. Quotas are allocated to Namibian rights holders in line with the country’s fisheries laws and policies,” it says.
It says quota holders may enter into commercial arrangements with third parties where they do not have the vessels or harvesting capacity required to use their quotas.
“Quota holders may enter into commercial arrangements with third parties to use the allocated quotas, particularly in instances where the rights holder does not have the required harvesting capacity or vessels. These arrangements are therefore regarded as private business agreements between the quota holder and the third party,” ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda says.
This comes after documents, which The Namibian has seen, reveal a dispute involving Fond Social de la République Démocratique du Congo, Hodago Fishing (Pty) Ltd and Daron Namibia (Pty) Ltd.
The documents relate to what was described as a “horse mackerel quota exploration agreement” concluded in September 2025.
In a letter dated 11 February, lawyer Ndeli Ndaitwah informed Hodago Fishing and Daron Namibia that his client, Fond Social de la République Démocratique du Congo, was terminating the agreement.
The letter alleges that the companies failed to achieve the agreed fishing volumes.
“To date, the only volumes landed are approximately 500 tonnes, despite our client’s payment of US$3 066 666 in furtherance of the agreement,” the letter states.
The lawyers demanded the repayment of funds and threatened legal action should the dispute not be resolved.
It remains unclear whether the matter proceeded to court.
According to the ministry, such arrangements are regarded as private business agreements between the quota holder and the third party.
The ministry did not indicate whether such agreements require approval, disclosure or monitoring once concluded between the parties.
Questions about whether foreign entities can benefit financially from such arrangements also remain unanswered.
Hodago Fishing previously told The Namibian it could not comment on details of the agreement because of confidentiality obligations contained in commercial contracts.
The company says it remains supportive of regional cooperation initiatives involving African countries and describes the DRC as an important market for Namibian horse mackerel products.
The dispute emerged as separate shareholder documents revealed financial difficulties at Hodago Fishing.
An August 2025 shareholder report, which The Namibian has seen, states that the company was facing financial challenges linked to its ageing vessel.
The report further states that Hodago owed Gendev Fishing Resources about N$47 million in catching fees and that the company was insolvent, with liabilities exceeding assets.
