WALVIS BAY – Fisheries minister Albert Kawana says allegations his ministry favoured the Tunacor group in the allocation of fishing quotas is completely misleading.
The fisheries minister came under fire this week following allegations by a local radio station suggesting he favoured Tunacor, while ordinary Namibians are yet to receive quotas despite applying for fishing rights in 2018.
In a statement, Kawana shot down the claims, saying several new applicants from all 14 regions have already received their quotas.
“Again, as already explained, the evaluation of applications will be completed next month. Thereafter, the names of the successful applicants together with the unsuccessful applicants and the reasons thereof will be made public,” Kawana said.
He said this is done in the interest of transparency, hence the names of successful applicants, including existing operators, will be made public.
He added that more than 100 companies operating in the fisheries industry had expired fishing rights. He said in some cases, the rights expired as far back as 2017, 2018, and 2019.
“These companies had a collective employees of over 7 000 with factories onshore and fishing vessels. Therefore, measures had to be taken in order to preserve employment and the economy,” he added.
“However new applicants from all 14 regions of our country who have been successful already received their fishing quotas effective from last year.
This enabled the industry, at their request, to buy the fish quotas so that factories continue operating and preserve employment. Indeed, consideration for applications is more than 95% complete.”
He added his ministry adopted a two phase approach with regards to the process of which the first phase covered the companies with onshore factories, fishing vessels, and workers whose fish quotas were initially granted by Fishcor, a practice that was stopped following the Fishrot scandal. “This exercise was completed last year.
Therefore, to allege that Tunacor might have been favoured for whatever reason is completely misleading. All companies applications were considered equally without any discrimination or favour. This was already explained several times,” Kawana said.
-edeklerk@nepc.com.na