WALVIS BAY - The fisheries ministry has said the N$290 million for the 2023/2024 financial year will be used to execute their duties as the custodian of the country’s marine resources.
During the motivation of the ministry’s budget last week, minister Derek Klazen told parliament that N$270 million is earmarked for the operational budget while the remaining N$20 million will go toward developmental projects of the ministry.
Klazen explained that the ministry, apart from the department of technical operations, planning, aquaculture, administration and resources management, has six programmes aimed at developmental goals related to marine and aquatic resources that need funding.
These programmes are survey and stock assessment, human resources development, marine and inland monitoring, control and surveillance, promotion of aquaculture and inland fisheries, policy and economic advice as well as coordination and support services.
“Therefore, we are requesting N$51 million for the stock assessment survey as this programme is essential for the sustainable management of Namibia’s living marine resources,” Klazen said.
The minister then explained that the programme conducts surveys to provide data on marine fish stocks and is instrumental in setting the total allowable catch (TAC), which in turn ensures long-term sustainable harvesting of marine resources.
The inland monitoring and surveillance programme, according to the minister, needs N$85 million to carry out monitoring, control and surveillance functions.
“This programme focuses on curbing and deterring illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities within Namibia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ)
as well as on the inland water bodies. Our law enforcement officers; fisheries inspectors, carry out activities such as; air, sea and river patrols, to monitor whether fishing activities are carried out within the ambit of our laws,” Klazen explained.
An additional N$44 million is also needed by the ministry to ensure the responsible and sustainable development of the aquaculture sector to achieve social economic benefits for the people living alongside the perennial rivers and
seasonal rained pans.
“The activities of this programme include the zonation of land, sea-based aqua parks, water quality monitoring, phytosanitary testing, research training, advisory and extension services, hatchery establishment and fingerling production and distribution to subsistence farmers,” the minister said.
As for the human resources development programme, Klazen said they need N$67 million to provide administrative support services such as finance, human resources and procurement to support the execution of the assigned functions and programmes.
He also indicated that they need at least N$13 million for their policy and economic advice division as well as N$26 million for coordination and support services.