WINDHOEK – Real progress in the construction of the Fonteintjie fish farm in southern Namibia, the onset of the Hardap Inland Fisheries Aquaculture Centre production ponds, which are earmarked for completion by end of this year and finalisation of fish production activities at Leonardville in the Omaheke Region are expected to contribute to a huge growth in aquaculture.
In Leonardville the installation of the the lining and coverings of production ponds is scheduled for completion by the middle of this year.
According to the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernard Esau, the ministry’s ambitious aquaculture master plan, which was endorsed by Cabinet in late 2014, has provided leverage to implement recommendations that will contribute to the development of both fresh and marine fish husbandry, both in Namibia and within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
During his annual address to staff last week Esau also noted that the mariculture monitoring and disease surveillance programmes have been continuing unabatedly in the potential mariculture areas of both the central and southern coasts.
“This has contributed immensely to biosecurity of marine aquaculture products,” said Esau.
He added that stakeholder consultations on the closed fishing season and fisheries management of fish protected areas in the Zambezi Region have been been completed.
“The Vietnamese experts attached to the South South Technical Cooperation Programme have contributed greatly towards improved aquaculture production, especially in terms of the improved survival rate of catfish fry with the practice of induced breeding of catfish,” explained Esau.
Another cooperative effort hailed by Esau is Namibia’s partnership with Cuba, which has yielded one more aquaculture expert to be attached to the Epalela project, whilst two other Cuban experts who are already in the country will be relocating to the Mpungu fish farm in Kavango West.
The minister noted that the aquaculture directorate successfully conducted a science forum where the latest inland fisheries survey results and research were presented to stakeholders.