Namibia conducting ‘regular patrols’ to combat illegal fishing

Uaripi Katjikua said recently that Namibia ratified the agreement in 2017 and since then, the ministry has been conducting regular fishing patrols on water bodies within Namibia’s territorial waters.

“These patrol missions are undertaken to observe and eliminate illegal fishing activities and fine offenders who are found violating fisheries laws. In addition to regular patrol missions, special operations are conducted to target areas where reports of illegal fishing are received,” said Katjikua.

She said the ministry also collaborates with other ministries and holds joint patrol operations on shared water bodies. Spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Psma was approved in 2009 at the 30th session of FAO.

It is the first binding international agreement to specifically target illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. In 2019, when the ministry’s patrol vessels were incapacitated due to maintenance, and a surge in IUU fishing activities was reported at the northern maritime border, the ministry signed an agreement with Stop Illegal Fishing (SIF) and Sea Shepherd Global (SSG) to help curb IUU activities in Namibia’s exclusive economic zone.

That agreement resulted in SSG making available to the ministry the MV Ocean Warrior, a civilian off-shore patrol vessel and its crew at their cost (such as covering all expenses of the vessel, including oil and food for all on board).

SIF is an independent Africa-based non-profit organisation with its headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana, which has been fighting to end the devastating impacts of illegal fishing across all African fisheries.

SSG is an international non-profit marine wildlife conservation organisation, with headquarters in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, undertaking to end the destruction of habitat and the over-utilisation of wildlife in the world’s oceans to conserve and protect the ecosystem’s species.

Recently, IUU has been cited as one of the biggest challenges facing sustainable management of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Africa. A joint study by the African Union Development Agency and FAO reveals the sector generated more than US$26 billion in 2015.

However, humanity risks losing these benefits if nothing is done to sustainably manage fish stocks which are declining in natural waters (oceans, lakes, rivers).

This really is accentuated by the growing demand for fish in international markets, further straining the already weak capacity of African institutions to manage their fisheries resources.

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