WALVIS BAY – Chairman of the Wet Landed Small Pelagic Association, Johnny Doeseb, says fisheries authorities are failing to act against a trawler vessel repeatedly involved in illegal sardine landings.
This follows a video showing the same vessel that was flagged last year landing shoals of pilchards despite an existing moratorium on the fishery.
According to Doeseb, the vessel in question is well known to both the industry and authorities. Despite several warnings and over N$120 million worth of pilchard landed by the same vessel last year, no penalties were imposed. Regulations state that fishing vessels are only permitted to have 5% of their catches as by-catch.
In 2023, the total landed value of by-catches stood at a staggering N$428 million—yet only N$64 million reached state coffers.
“This is not a new problem. It’s a recurring issue that has been ignored for too long. No action, no suspensions—nothing,” he said.
Doeseb said while illegal operators continue unchecked, responsible companies are being sidelined. He noted that the association has invested billions in land-based infrastructure, including canneries and cold storage facilities.
“Two canneries that could process 60 000 tonnes of pilchard a year and create 1 500 jobs are standing idle. Meanwhile, we’re importing canned fish from as far as China and India,” he said.
These factories are Etosha fishing who employees have been subjected to periodic work due to the moratorium on pilchards that was imposed in 2015, as well as the Princess Brand whereby some of their workers were absorb into the Government Redress Programme.
Meanwhile an international surveys have shown Namibia’s pilchard biomass has recovered to over one million tonnes.
According to Doeseb, the association has since requested a 60 000-tonne allocation to conduct a viability and research study, but their request remains unanswered.
“We are ready to create jobs, invest more, and harvest responsibly—but we cannot do so if the law is not enforced. Illegal landings must not become normal practice,” Doeseb warned.
He called on Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries Water and Land Reform ·to engage the sector and protect the national resource before it is lost again.
edeklerk@nepc.com.na