Fisheries sector weathering the storm: Minister

NAMIBIA’S fishing industry is riding the current of recovery after three years of adverse conditions, Fisheries Minister Dr Abraham Iyambo told the National Assembly on Monday.

He said fish sizes had increased, fetching better prices on international markets. “Things have changed positively and the sector has recovered from a tranche of difficulties like high oil prices, and the adverse effects of exchange rates,” Iyambo said.”Since the start of this year, fuel prices and exchange rates have improved as well as fish prices,” Iyambo said during debate on the budget for the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.”Environmental parameters like sea surface temperature, dissolved oxygen, wind patterns and plankton are looking quite positive.”A closed season of four weeks last October to allow hake to recover, a depth restriction on catches in the Atlantic Ocean and reduced total allowable catches (TACs) had proved effective, according to the Minister.This year a closed season of two months is envisaged.Several MPs expressed concern about foreign investors who sought out Namibian business partners in rural areas to enable them to qualify for quotas.However, when it came to profit-sharing or dividend payouts, the investors often overlooked their local partners, who received either very little in the way of benefits or nothing at all.The Minister also announced that the Ministry would soon build a plant at Onanivi to produce fish feed for local fish farms.”We have discovered that mahangu is very good for producing fish feed.So far we have been importing fish feed at a very high cost from Malawi and South Africa,” Iyambo noted.The Ministry will soon conclude a survey regarding fish stocks for horse mackerel, hake and pilchard.Overall, N$29,1 million was required for this, as well as surveys and stock assessments that are in the pipeline.These include a study on local value addition, the marketing of Namibian seafood and aquaculture (fish farming) development in the Omaheke Region.Since last month a new regulation requiring larger vessels to have a vessel monitoring system (VMS) installed on board has been strictly enforced.The Ministry will not issue a fishing licence if a VMS is not installed.This modern system allows computerised vessel monitoring from the Ministry’s offices at Walvis Bay.A substantial N$ 51,9 million of the Ministry’s N$163,7 million budget allocation this year will go to the new directorate for sea aquaculture.Already oyster production and the cultivation of abalone (perlemoen) – mostly for export – has increased at Luderitz, Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.There are six fresh water fish farms in Namibia, two of which were flooded earlier this year because of heavy rains and rising river levels.The allocation for the farms is N$21 million.”Things have changed positively and the sector has recovered from a tranche of difficulties like high oil prices, and the adverse effects of exchange rates,” Iyambo said.”Since the start of this year, fuel prices and exchange rates have improved as well as fish prices,” Iyambo said during debate on the budget for the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.”Environmental parameters like sea surface temperature, dissolved oxygen, wind patterns and plankton are looking quite positive.”A closed season of four weeks last October to allow hake to recover, a depth restriction on catches in the Atlantic Ocean and reduced total allowable catches (TACs) had proved effective, according to the Minister.This year a closed season of two months is envisaged.Several MPs expressed concern about foreign investors who sought out Namibian business partners in rural areas to enable them to qualify for quotas.However, when it came to profit-sharing or dividend payouts, the investors often overlooked their local partners, who received either very little in the way of benefits or nothing at all.The Minister also announced that the Ministry would soon build a plant at Onanivi to produce fish feed for local fish farms.”We have discovered that mahangu is very good for producing fish feed.So far we have been importing fish feed at a very high cost from Malawi and South Africa,” Iyambo noted.The Ministry will soon conclude a survey regarding fish stocks for horse mackerel, hake and pilchard.Overall, N$29,1 million was required for this, as well as surveys and stock assessments that are in the pipeline.These include a study on local value addition, the marketing of Namibian seafood and aquaculture (fish farming) development in the Omaheke Region.Since last month a new regulation requiring larger vessels to have a vessel monitoring system (VMS) installed on board has been strictly enforced.The Ministry will not issue a fishing licence if a VMS is not installed.This modern system allows computerised vessel monitoring from the Ministry’s offices at Walvis Bay.A substantial N$ 51,9 million of the Ministry’s N$163,7 million budget allocation this year will go to the new directorate for sea aquaculture.Already oyster production and the cultivation of abalone (perlemoen) – mostly for export – has increased at Luderitz, Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.There are six fresh water fish farms in Namibia, two of which were flooded earlier this year because of heavy rains and rising river levels.The allocation for the farms is N$21 million.