Namibia urged to finalise ocean policies

Namibia has been urged to finalise its Blue Economy Policy, marine planning, and accession to the High Seas Treaty ahead of the 2026 Our Ocean Conference in Kenya.

Local marine biodiversity expert Rod Braby says the platform would be good for Namibia to showcase what it has achieved in ocean governance.

The conference will be held in Mombasa from the 16 to 18 June under the theme: ‘Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future’.

Braby told The Namibian on Monday that several matters pertaining to the sustainable use of the ocean and coastal environment in Namibia are still awaiting final decisions.

He said Namibia has yet to finalise and approve its Blue Economy Policy, while the marine special planning process has yet to be completed.

The expert said Namibia has also not yet acceded to the International Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable of Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, which is known as the High Seas Treaty.

“Really those are the hanging fruits and it is important that Namibia adapts to this treaty because we have the Walvis Ridge right on our doorstep going to the mid-Atlantic, which we are very fortunate to have. There are many things that Namibia is in a very good position for,” Braby said.

He said that Namibia is not performing well in terms of marine protected areas (MPAs), with only 1.6% of its exclusive economic zone under MPA management.

He added that the government has committed to increasing this to 11% within the next two years.

In January, the director for marine ecosystem and marine research in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Graca D’Almeda, said Namibia had an intention to ratify the High Seas Treaty but missed the deadline as the country wanted to ensure that it was in line with its national laws.

She explained that the agreement primarily focuses on fisheries and marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions, which largely falls under the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. She added that a committee comprising the environment ministry and the Ministry of Works and Transport is needed to analyse the potential benefits and drawbacks for Namibia under the High Seas Treaty.

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