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Cold water poured over illegal fishing claims 

Cold water poured over illegal fishing claims 

WALVIS BAY – The fisheries ministry says they have actively deployed its state-of-the-art patrol vessel, Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda, to curb illegal fishing along Namibia’s northeastern maritime border with Angola.

Executive director of the ministry Annely Haiphene said this in response to concerns raised on social media of vessels being spotted in Namibian waters, engaging in illegal fishing in the Namibian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

In fact, the ministry said the two vessels that were spotted earlier last month – one was fishing on the Angolan side while the other was sailing back to Angola from the Walvis Bay harbour.

Haiphene says the widely circulated videos and photographs have been thoroughly analysed to determine whether the vessels were in Namibian waters and if any illegal fishing activities were taking place.

According to her, Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda has been stationed in the area since 7 February 2025, conducting round-the-clock monitoring, control and surveillance.

“On or about 15 February 2025, our patrol vessel crew observed the vessels in question via radar and direct visual accounts. The vessels depicted in the videos and photographs were operating within Angolan waters and not in Namibia’s EEZ,” Haiphene said.

She further clarified that one of the vessels, FV Mar Rojo Dos, was indeed in Namibian waters, but it was merely passing through on its way back to Angola from Walvis Bay and was not engaged in any fishing activities.

“Our maritime border with Angola is at 17.25 latitude degrees. Any location north of this is within Angolan waters. The vessels in question were all positioned beyond this boundary,” she added.

Haiphene also assured the public that the ministry remains vigilant against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, using various monitoring and surveillance tools, including the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), Automatic Identification System (AIS), patrol vessels and aircraft.

“We are aware of certain tactics used by illegal fishers, such as obscuring their identification or switching off their VMS to evade detection. Our surveillance teams remain on high alert for such activities,” she said.

She added that the ministry is in discussions with Angolan authorities to strengthen bilateral cooperation and improve monitoring and control measures along the maritime border.

“The ministry appreciates and encourages members of the fishing industry and the public to continue providing information that will help us in safeguarding our marine resources,” the fisheries ED said.

-edeklerk@nepc.com.na