WALVIS BAY – Regional fisheries experts have warned that Namibia’s outdated fisheries legislation and weak penalties are undermining efforts to combat illegal fishing, despite the country’s relatively strong monitoring systems.
The warning follows a three-day training workshop in Walvis Bay for fisheries inspectors from Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, focusing on port state measures, risk assessment and evidence gathering.
The training was led by the Southern African Development Community Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (SADC-MCSCC) and Stop Illegal Fishing.
SADC-MCSCC technical committee chairperson Stanley Ndara said safeguarding ports has become increasingly critical.
“It’s increasingly becoming important for Namibia to safeguard which vessels come into port and the risks that law enforcement officials need to assess before they provide access,” he said.
Under international port state measures, vessels suspected of illegal fishing can be denied access to ports, preventing them from refuelling, landing catches or receiving supplies.
Denying entry cuts off the logistical lifeline that allows illegal operations to continue.
He, however, said that enforcement alone is not enough if legislation does not provide real deterrence.
Ndara added that one of the major challenges remains building strong court cases and fines that do not speak to the crimes.
He noted that this is is due to outdated laws as well as the lack of legal experts dealing with marine resource crimes.
“There is a critical outcome based on the feedback from participants, and that is the issue of gathering evidence. So, we will go back to the drawing board and assess how we can roll out further training to participants on how to properly gather evidence,” he said.
He added that, without properly collected and admissible evidence, cases often collapse in court, further weakening the impact of already outdated laws.
He opined that regional cooperation is proving more effective.
Ndara said that, through information sharing between Southern and West African states, authorities have detected forged fishing documents and prosecuted vessels operating illegally.
He stated that a regional monitoring, control and surveillance centre being set up in Maputo will strengthen cross-border alerts, not only in SADC but also with other monitoring initiatives that exist in Africa.
“MCS is quite expensive, but it is a must. We need to collaborate to be effective. Otherwise, you will not be able to manage it on your own,” he appealed.
Meanwhile, Erik Per-Bergh, coordinator for Stop Illegal Fishing, said fines in some cases are too low to discourage repeat offences.
“You cannot violate the law and just pay a little bit, because then it becomes a business expense. The fines must have deterrent value. It doesn’t stop people from doing it, because the fine is too small. It doesn’t have any impact. So, this is important to investigate,” he said.