Namfi graduates bemoan lack of sea time

FOR the past three years, no new graduates from the Namibian Maritime Fisheries Institute (Namfi) have been awarded a certificate of competency as they could not do the compulsory on-board 12 months sea time training.

Sea time is a requirement to obtain the certificate from the directorate of maritime affairs (DMA) for graduates to become employable.

The lack of sea time has led to a one-man protest by Namfi maritime graduate Michael Mubuchile from Katima Mulilo. He occupied a deserted office and demanded that the fisheries minister ensures that all 90 of his classmates be given sea time onboard vessels fishing in Namibian waters. The graduate has also been evicted from a shack he was renting in Kuisebmond for non-payment of rent.

“I did my my class 6 at Namfi and completed it in July last year. Walvis Bay is the only place where I have career opportunities. I have to be at Walvis Bay to get sea time. I am not going anywhere,” he says.

Mubuchile says he lost everything and refuses to return to his village until he gets sea time. He is demanding that the government ensures that all maritime students from Namfi get the opportunity to go to sea.

Namibian Maritime Officers and Shipping Association (Namosa) chairperson Philippus Iwete expressed disappointment at the manner in which the fisheries ministry deserted the graduates.

Iwete said the Namibian maritime students are being disadvantaged while opportunities are being given to the Russian students.

“The cadets from Russia as young as age 24 come to get their sea time in Namibian waters under different titles. They are given titles like abled seaman, captains or chief mate instead of cadets. After six months when they return they get promoted.

“They are being groomed to take over from their parents while we have cadets like Michael who have no sea time,” said Iwete.

In the last two years 90 students graduated from Namfi. The institution’s deputy director, Tobias Nambala, blamed the lack of sea time for the graduates on the reluctance from the fishing industry to take in the Namibian graduates.

“Most companies cited challenges like insufficient quota allocations as their reasons. Companies always promise they will come back to us when their quota situation improves. That explains why most students are not on vessels as cadets immediately they finish their academic part at Namfi,” said Nambala.

According to him, maritime education requires commitment by the government, industry and the training provider.

Additionally the institution also requires adequate funding for it to fully carry out its mandate.

“Funding the institution to cover its mandate has always been a challenge. If funding is properly allocated, Namfi will implement all strategies to ensure full mandate implementation. You cannot mention maritime or fishing without thinking of Namfi, therefore we are an institution of excellence in the sector. We just need to improve on it,” he said.

Namfi’s director, Maggy Sam, added that for graduates to get sea time, this can only work if it becomes a requirement for fishing quota allocations.

“If there is a clause that says we want to Namibianise our ocean we must have a number of students attached for the period of the fishing licence. We got that promise but we still need to see it in black and white with the new quotas,” said Sam.

Fisheries minister Albert Kawana confirmed to The Namibian that a clause has been incorporated in the fish rights holders’ contacts that would see marine graduates get sea time.

“The rights which were granted to companies have a stipulation that all big vessels must accommodate two cadets while the smaller vessels take in one cadet, for the purposes of training,” said Kawana.

The minister of fisheries and marine resources Albert Kawana says that a clause has been incorporated in the fish rights holders’ contacts that would see marine graduates get sea time.

For three years in a row, no new maritime graduates from the Namibian Maritime Fisheries Institute (Namfi) have been able to obtain a certificate of competency because they could not carry out the required onboard 12 months sea time training.

Kawana confirmed to The Namibian that the ministry has made it mandatory for the right holders to appoint maritime students on vessels for the ministry to attain is objective of Namibianising the fishing industry

“The rights which were granted to the companies and there is a condition that says for all their big vessels they must accommodate two cadets for the smaller vessels one cadet for the purpose of training,” said Kawana.

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