Matheus Hamutenya
KEETMANSHOOP – The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) has expressed displeasure over the fishing rights exclusion of closed corporations (CCs) saying it will exclude most youths.
SPYL Secretary, Ephraim Nekongo expressed his disappointment over the announcement on Tuesday by the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Bernard Esau that CCs will not be considered as the application for fishing quotas kicked off.
Esau said only Proprietary Limited (Pty/Ltd) will be up for consideration for lucrative fishing rights and fishing quota allocations this year.
Nekongo expressed his disappointment towards conditions excluding CCs, saying many youths own these types of business and therefore are likely to be excluded if such conditions are attached to fishing rights.
“We are not happy that the minister is limiting young people’s access to fishing rights, so we are saying, even if you have a CC, you should be able have access to fishing rights,” he said.
He further said he has already written to the minister to seek audience on the issue and he is hopeful that they can meet soon to discuss the matter, adding that the youth who make up the majority of the population cannot be excluded from such huge economic activities. “I have already written to the minister on our displeasure over this issue and we hope to engage him soon,” he stated. Nekongo is on a regional tour of the //Kharas Region.
In the past, persons could apply for quota and right through a close corporation. However, Esau said they made the amendment to avoid exploitation as well as issues that arises between companies and individuals.
“Some people in the past cried foul as they were used by certain companies and individuals to apply for quotas and rights,” said Esau. Esau explained such communities or individuals in the past were promised certain percentage of shareholding in these companies.
“Once these companies receive such fishing rights, they often exclude these vulnerable communities or persons from beneficiation in dividend sharing,” he further elaborated.
There are 96 fishing rights to be issued this year in nine fisheries species, with July 31 being the deadline for submissions of applications.