Africa-Press – Namibia. The Confederation of Namibian Fishing Associations’ chairperson, Matti Amukwa, on Friday highlighted issues challenging the progress of the fishing industry.
Speaking at the annual fishing industry meeting at Walvis Bay, Amukwa mentioned that delaying vessel licensing stops catches, processing and value addition.
“It is necessary to consistently supply raw materials to the processing facilities. Delaying licensing is costly to the companies, and fishing days are also being lost by the respective right holders. We are pleading with the ministry to always facilitate this process timeously to avoid unnecessary delays,” he said.
Amukwa noted that the industry needs a predictable quota allocation system to all right holders, based on their employment, investments and performance.
“Right holders and operators invested many billion dollars in catching, processing and cold store facilities and need to plan their fishing and processing activities to catch throughout the year and provide the market with a steady flow of product. The industry and the minister have been working on, and agreed to, a scorecard to be used in the allocation of the total allowable catch (TAC). What remains to be done is giving to the scorecard categories a weighting,” he said.
He added that there is a need to ensure that employment and investment in the industry is rewarded, and that any trading in quotas by right holders is penalised and brought under control.
Amukwa highlighted the industry’s unhappiness with the governmental quotas issue, adding that the government has become the largest quota holder, without the obligations that are placed on right holders.
He noted that the government’s quota issuing is leading to job losses and reduced value addition.
He said auctioning fishing quotas to the highest bidder does not maximise value, and rather moves Namibia from a rights-based system back to a vessel-based system.
“This approach is discouraging ‘Namibianisation’, because mainly operators without obligations can compete in such auctions, at the disadvantage of long-established companies employing thousands of Namibians, and hundreds of Namibian right holders who are new to the fishing business.
“The auction system is a lottery. No one can predict how much fish they will win in the next season.
“Auction kills value-addition innovations because once you win an auction, the government is limited in how many other conditions it can impose on such operators,” he said.
A fishing rights holder, Vetaruhe Kandorozu, asked at Friday’s meeting if the ministry will invite new right holders for the next year as the TAC is continually reduced, while also calling for the government to surrender the quota business.
“Get out of that business. Divide it among us and increase the levy. Let us do the job for you. We can own the vessels, maintain them and run the business. You want to empower us, yet invite foreigners because they are the only people that can afford the government quota auctions. You are a regulator and at the same time a businessman. How do we compete against our own power?” he asked.
Herman /Honeb from the Hanganeni Artisanal Fishing Association advocated for the advancement of small-scale fishing.
“We want a legal framework for the small-scale fishing sector. We are worried, as we are regarded as small, and focus is on the large-scale fishing sector. I call on consideration for support to small-scale fishing communities,” he said.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
