GOBABIS – Gobabis, which is known as the ‘cattle town’ witnessed its maiden fish consumption show on Saturday, replete with demonstrations on how to create fish dishes during which the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Sources, Bernard Esau, donned an apron to cook up a storm of sea food recipes for the public.

Esau, who is on a national drive to promote the consumption of seafood warned about the dangers of an imbalanced diet containing too much red meat to some 2 000 inhabitants of the Omaheke Region and other visitors, who were chanting the slogan “Eat Fish for Life” in the Legare Stadium in Gobabis.

The crowd, who gathered at the stadium was treated to some free fish products from all the Namibian fish producers present at the hugely successful event, hosted by the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust (NFCPT). Officially opening the event, Esau, along with the Governor of the Omaheke Region, Festus Ueitele, stressed the importance of a healthy diet containing fish, warning against the risks of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers caused by eating too much red meat.

Esau said the NFCPT is the brainchild of government and its mission is to promote the consumption of fish. “Fish is readily available anywhere in our country, it is healthy and it is affordable. The NFCPT has made available a booklet on how to prepare fish cuisine, so there are no more excuses why residents from all fourteen regions should not eat fish,” he said. Ueitele also encouraged the inhabitants of the ‘cattle country’ to start eating fish in bigger volumes, stressing all the advantages of fish consumption.

“Fish must become an integral part of the diet of every resident of the Omaheke Region as from today. Fish contains high-quality protein and all the minerals and vitamins needed for a well-balanced and healthy diet. The residents of the Omaheke Region have always been meat lovers and we produce some of the finest red meat in the country. But we must all be aware of the dangers of eating too much red meat. It is alarming to read about all the problems caused by such an imbalanced diet, and I therefore encourage each and every Omaheke resident to change their ways by eating more fish,” he urged.

The CEO of the NFCPT, Albertina Ngurare, said during the road show of the NFCPT that the trust intends to visit at least 10 schools in the region to encourage learners to eat more fish. “The NFCPT was established in 2001 with the aim of promoting fish consumption within Namibia by making fish more accessible and affordable to all Namibians. It further aims at teaching the public how to cook and prepare fish and in doing so attain the most nutritional value from it,” she remarked just before Minister Esau entertained the crowd with his fish preparation skills. Later that day, the packed Legare Stadium played host to some sizzling entertainment provided by musicians in the region and actors like the Equipped Acadamy Dance Group and Ongoro Nomundu, as well as the Dogg, Gazza, the Wild Dogs and the group Tswazis.

 

By Deon Schlechter