WALVIS BAY – Wet-landed horse mackerel subsector chairperson Johny ‘JJD’ Doeseb has dispelled the notion that no value addition can be made to horse mackerel.
He was responding to questions during a press conference on Thursday to address concerns about the 200-metre isobath.
He said adding value to horse mackerel is not a far-fetched idea but a reality and a lucrative concept that needs to be given the opportunity to blossom and contribute to job creation and poverty alleviation.
The government allocates two sets of quotas – a freezer quota and a wet-landed quota.
A freezer quota is when fish caught by vessels are exported without processing, while a wet-landed quota is when fish are landed and brought ashore, taken to factories where they are further processed, graded, cut, and packaged into retail or bulk sizes for different markets.
This system is more labour intensive and creates more work across the value chain.
Doeseb said the argument that value addition is not possible overlooks the broader economic gains linked to land-based operations.
“The produced product, whether sea-based or land-based, remains the same. Now, land-based operations provide 1 700 jobs. Is that, in itself, not value for Namibia?” he questioned.
He said land-based factories currently operate four vessels in Namibian waters, generating significantly more employment compared to freezer trawlers operating at sea.
“Four vessels are creating 1 700 jobs, versus even 10 vessels producing the same product, packaged in the same way and sold in the same market, but with less than 500 jobs,” Doeseb said.
He noted that the focus should shift from the product itself to the value chain it supports, as Namibia’s industrialisation goals depend on ensuring that resources benefit a broader segment of the population.
“We can only achieve industrialisation if we ensure that the resource benefits the nation. We have around three million Namibians across sectors. How will they benefit if we only focus on fishing at sea?” he asked.
He added that onshore processing has both direct and indirect economic impacts.
Therefore, Namibians should also consider the indirect positive impact within the economy.
Doeseb rejected claims that markets favour sea-frozen products, saying demand remains strong regardless of where processing takes place.
“The market has not rejected the product – it is accepting it. Products are exported to markets such as the DRC, Zimbabwe and Zambia, and they are being consumed. It is the same product,” he said. He said the key question for Namibia is whether it is maximising value addition from its natural resources.
“If the same product creates more jobs locally and still meets consumer demand, then Namibia benefits. We must ask whether we are gaining enough value from this value chain,” he said.
Doeseb noted that onshore processing contributes more to the economy through increased employment and tax revenue.
“When processing is done on land, the value in terms of jobs and economic activity is greater for the nation. The benefits are also reflected in VAT and export earnings,” he said.
However, he acknowledged challenges within the subsector, particularly the inability to sustain retail contracts due to limited fishing periods.
“We cannot sustain retail contracts because we only fish for six months of the year. We had contracts with retailers, but these were cancelled,” he said.
He said land-based factories produce retail-ready packaging that freezer trawlers cannot accommodate.
“We package in various kilograms, which go into a completely different market. This is a segment that needs development, but we currently lack the capacity to sustain it,” he said. Doeseb stressed that the subsector is not opposed to offshore operations but is advocating for a balanced and inclusive approach.
“We are not in competition. We must coexist. We recognise the investments that have been made,” he said.
Last month, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the fishing industry remains one of the country’s key economic sectors and a strategic national asset.
“It is, therefore, important that this sector is sustainably managed and developed so it creates jobs for the benefit of all Namibians,” she appealed.