Govt says overfishing under control

THE Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources says it has been successful in turning around the situation of overfishing in Namibian waters which prevailed before 1991.

In a statement to The Namibian, the Ministry says that at present there are no more species that can be classified as being overfished or depleted. The Ministry points out that a revised Marine Resources Policy it plans to table in the National Assembly soon is not “new” but updates the 1991 White Paper.At the time, the document entitled Toward Responsible Development of the Fisheries Sector, aimed to rebuild Namibia’s plundered stocks to establish an effective fisheries monitoring system.Permanent Secretary Nangula Mbako says in the statement that Namibia is now internationally recognised as having some of the best fisheries management regimes in place.Mbako says that with the changes on the local, regional and international front since Independence it has been necessary to update its policy.The revised policy will include international best practices for fisheries management and the key international accords to which Namibia is party.The Ministry points out that a revised Marine Resources Policy it plans to table in the National Assembly soon is not “new” but updates the 1991 White Paper.At the time, the document entitled Toward Responsible Development of the Fisheries Sector, aimed to rebuild Namibia’s plundered stocks to establish an effective fisheries monitoring system.Permanent Secretary Nangula Mbako says in the statement that Namibia is now internationally recognised as having some of the best fisheries management regimes in place.Mbako says that with the changes on the local, regional and international front since Independence it has been necessary to update its policy.The revised policy will include international best practices for fisheries management and the key international accords to which Namibia is party.