Scottish fishermen cast their nets in Namibian waters

TWO Scottish trawlers joined the fleet of foreign vessels catching fish for Namibian companies at the beginning of the year.

Both boats, the Resplendent and the Victory, are less than five years old and were built specifically to help open up a new deep-water fishery for Scottish white fish trawlers. According to a report in The Scotsman the fishery was all but lost less than two years ago after the European Union imposed strict quotas on the deep-water white fish.With even stricter quotas, and a 15 days-per-month fishing restriction imposed this year, the skippers and crews of the two vessels decided they had had enough.Calling them “courageous crews” the report states they undertook a historic voyage, unprecedented in the annals of Scotland’s fishing industry, and sailed more than 7 000 miles over 26 days to Namibia to try and make a new living.The article described the conditions in Namibian waters as excellent with much better weather and better fishing.”It’s like the fishing was in Scotland 20 years ago,” said a major shareholder in one of the two trawlers.The Victory has been contracted by Hangana to catch hake, while the Resplendent is contracted to Blue Ocean Products.The MD of Hangana, Kobus du Plessis, confirmed to The Namibian yesterday that the Victory had been catching for his company since January.”We encouraged them to employ Namibian crew members, which they did,” he said.Six Namibians have joined the crew of approximately 12.According to Du Plessis, it is common practice for Namibian companies to get foreign vessels to help catch their quota, but it was a relatively new venture for Hangana.”The company used to work on a charter basis before, but about eight months ago a Russian vessel was first contracted.”The Victory is the second one.He said Hangana’s fleet of seven wetfish trawlers and one large freezer trawler had the capacity to catch the full quota, but low catch rates in recent times had made it more difficult.As a new vessel, the Victory has significantly more power on deck.”It is a twin trawler – enabling it to utilise two nets – which has not been used in Namibian waters before.The equipment is state-of-the-art which makes it very efficient to run and operate.”For Du Plessis this venture offers a second benefit of technical transfer to the Namibian crew on board.”That is one of the main reasons why we approached them as it would give the Namibians good exposure to such modern technology,” he said.There was apparently great joy on board the Resplendent when on her first trip her hold was almost completely filled for the first time since she was built.Du Plessis said the first catches were very good, but that it was not possible to fill the hold every time.”We are trying to fish responsibly and therefore target the larger fish, which makes it more difficult.”He said Hangana was looking at a contract of between two to three years with the Victory.According to a report in The Scotsman the fishery was all but lost less than two years ago after the European Union imposed strict quotas on the deep-water white fish.With even stricter quotas, and a 15 days-per-month fishing restriction imposed this year, the skippers and crews of the two vessels decided they had had enough.Calling them “courageous crews” the report states they undertook a historic voyage, unprecedented in the annals of Scotland’s fishing industry, and sailed more than 7 000 miles over 26 days to Namibia to try and make a new living.The article described the conditions in Namibian waters as excellent with much better weather and better fishing.”It’s like the fishing was in Scotland 20 years ago,” said a major shareholder in one of the two trawlers.The Victory has been contracted by Hangana to catch hake, while the Resplendent is contracted to Blue Ocean Products.The MD of Hangana, Kobus du Plessis, confirmed to The Namibian yesterday that the Victory had been catching for his company since January.”We encouraged them to employ Namibian crew members, which they did,” he said.Six Namibians have joined the crew of approximately 12.According to Du Plessis, it is common practice for Namibian companies to get foreign vessels to help catch their quota, but it was a relatively new venture for Hangana.”The company used to work on a charter basis before, but about eight months ago a Russian vessel was first contracted.”The Victory is the second one.He said Hangana’s fleet of seven wetfish trawlers and one large freezer trawler had the capacity to catch the full quota, but low catch rates in recent times had made it more difficult.As a new vessel, the Victory has significantly more power on deck.”It is a twin trawler – enabling it to utilise two nets – which has not been used in Namibian waters before.The equipment is state-of-the-art which makes it very efficient to run and operate.”For Du Plessis this venture offers a second benefit of technical transfer to the Namibian crew on board.”That is one of the main reasons why we approached them as it would give the Namibians good exposure to such modern technology,” he said.There was apparently great joy on board the Resplendent when on her first trip her hold was almost completely filled for the first time since she was built.Du Plessis said the first catches were very good, but that it was not possible to fill the hold every time.”We are trying to fish responsibly and therefore target the larger fish, which makes it more difficult.”He said Hangana was looking at a contract of between two to three years with the Victory.