Africa-Press – Namibia. A group of employees in the fishing industry on Monday protested the planned auctioning of 6 232 metric tonnes (MT) of hake governmental objective quota to the highest bidder.
The workers say such action is contributing to worsening working conditions and job insecurity in the sector.
The fishermen during lunchtime marched from the fishing industry to the office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform to voice their frustration over the planned auction.
The government, in an advertisement placed in newspapers, indicated that it plans to auction the 6 232 MT of quotas. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform jointly invited bidders to bid for 6 232 MT of hake and 22 404 MT of horse mackerel.
The minimum price is set at N$9 000 per MT for freezer fish and N$700 per MT for wet fish.
Meanwhile, a report released by the Namibia Statistics Agency shows that the total landings of quota species declined to 53 392 MT during last year, representing a decrease of 20.8% compared to the 67 382 MT recorded in 2024.
Worker representative Moses Nakatana said the decision to auction government fishing quotas is negatively affecting employment stability in the industry. The frustration in the fishing industry is further exacerbated by the fact that an employee of Gendev was sent home by the company without salaries last week.
“One of the main problems which affect the condition of employment of the workers is the government’s decision to auction the fishing quota,” Nakatana said.
Nakatana further said the system is worsening employment conditions and reducing job security across the sector.
“The auctioning of the quota to the highest bidder is contributing to the deteriorating condition of workers in the fishing industry,” he said.
He added that some companies are struggling to maintain permanent employment due to declining quotas and rising operational pressures.
“Many companies in the fishing industry are not willing to continue increasing the number of permanent workers because of declining quota allocation,” he said.
Gendev employee Aina Nekwaya also said that some workers have been left without contracts due to a lack of whitefish (hake) production since 2024.
“Some employees that have been working at Gendev for more than eight years have had their contracts not renewed due to no production of whitefish since 2024,” Nekwaya said.
She said companies have been unable to secure quotas despite repeated applications to the relevant ministry.
“They said they have been applying for whitefish rights, but the applications were not approved,” she said.
Nekwaya also rejected the idea of auctioning fishing quotas, saying allocation should prioritise companies in need of production support.
“We condemn the idea of auctioning fishing quotas in Namibia,” she said.
“We are appealing to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s government to allocate quotas to companies that are in need, instead of auctioning them.”
Anna Elago, representing Tunacor employees, added that the auction system undermines long-term employment and discourages companies from offering permanent contracts.
“This system is directly undermining the transition of long-term employees into permanent sector positions,” Elago said.
She said uncertainty in quota allocation affects companies’ ability to plan and retain staff.
“Auction systems prevent companies from knowing their future capacity without a guaranteed quota,” she said.
Elago further called for an alternative allocation model that rewards job creation and long-term employment.
“We call for the government to stop auctioning government objective quotas and instead allocate them directly to companies that have vessels and established workforces,” she said.
Receiving the petition on behalf of the line ministry, Erongo governor Natalia /Goagoses said they would investigate the grievances of the workers as local leadership.
She then asked for 14 days so that the issue can be dealt with.
“We have heard you, and your concerns are genuine, as you are a link between governments. I will see to it that the petition is forwarded to the president through the line ministry,” she said.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
