WALVIS BAY – Financially troubled fishing company Hodago Fishing has vehemently denied allegations that it is holding 15 foreign crew members hostage aboard its fishing vessel Venus 1, currently docked at the port of Walvis Bay.
The denial follows a video released by the crew, consisting 13 Russian nationals, one Ukrainian, and one Estonian citizen, in which they accused the company of allegedly withholding their passports and salaries for the past five months. The two-minute video, recorded in Russian and addressed to the Russian embassy, describes what the crew claims is a deteriorating situation onboard the vessel.
“For the past five months, we have been held hostage by the current situation,” the crew said in the recording, alleging that the ship-owning company Hodago Fishing misled them regarding employment conditions.
The crew claimed they were sent to sea on 29 December 2025 after a short repair period, despite the vessel being in what they described as a “critical condition”. They alleged they were promised payment upon return to port, but said no wages were paid after fishing operations reportedly yielded about 600 tonnes of product between December and January. They claim the situation escalated after they sought assistance from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which led to the vessel being arrested in Walvis Bay with the support of a South African ITF inspector.
The crew further alleged that they have since faced repeated delays in repatriation and payment, with provisions running low onboard and fuel supplies nearing depletion.
“Upon boarding the vessel, each crew member’s passport was confiscated, allegedly for the purpose of issuing work visas, and to this day their whereabouts remain unknown. We are now stuck on board the vessel,” the crew alleges.
In their appeal, the crew urged intervention from the Russian embassy and called for assistance from Namibian authorities, including a request for presidential involvement to resolve the dispute.
Contacted yesterday, the Russian embassy told New Era that they are aware of the situation and are in contact with the ministry of international relations to resolve the matter.
In response, the board of Hodago Fishing rejected the allegations, stating that claims of abandonment or unlawful detention are “factually incorrect”. However, they did not respond to follow-up questions regarding the passports. The company said food and essential supplies have been provided to the vessel, and a payment was made on 1 April 2025 for crew provisioning.
Financial troubles
The company then attributed the dispute to operational and financial challenges linked to third-party contractual arrangements, stating that it is engaged in ongoing efforts to resolve outstanding issues.
According to the company, crew welfare remains a priority, and it is actively working with relevant stakeholders to address logistical and administrative concerns.
“Despite the financial challenges, we have not to date retrenched staff and directors have reduced their own remuneration to sustain operations,” the board said. Hodago Fishing also cautioned against what it described as “unverified or incomplete reporting”, warning that such narratives could undermine funding negotiations and recovery efforts.
“This is a temporary constraint, not an indicator of institutional failure. A comprehensive recovery strategy is in place. We are also engaging prospective funding partners and strategic stakeholders to restore full operational capacity,” the company stated.