Namibia faces an annual financial setback of approximately 1.5 billion Namibian dollars (N$) due to the pervasive issue of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing along its coastline, as estimated by The Confederation of Namibian Fishing Associations (CNFA).
The country’s Fisheries Minister, Derek Klazen, expressed the ongoing challenge of unbridled exploitation of Namibia’s resources, with neighboring countries implicated in illicit activities both inland and at sea. Addressing fishing industry stakeholders in Walvis Bay, Klazen underscored the substantial economic and environmental impact of illegal fishing, lamenting the loss of revenue and the disruption to sustainable management systems.
Klazen voiced deep concern about the involvement of citizens from neighboring countries in these illicit practices and announced plans to engage counterparts for the harmonization of laws and enforcement measures. “We have received alarming reports of an increase in incidents linked to or potentially linked to IUU at our northern coastal border,” he stated.
To address this pressing issue, the ministry has decided to allocate up to 50% of its control, monitoring, and surveillance sea operations to the northern border with Angola. Klazen emphasized the commitment to deploying all available resources to combat IUU fishing within Namibia’s jurisdiction.
The CNFA disclosed that six or seven foreign trawlers, allegedly operating under Angolan licenses, harvest over 100,000 tonnes of fish in Namibia’s northern waters annually. CNFA chairperson Matti Amukwa urgently called for intervention to halt illegal fishing, emphasizing the need for immediate action against well-known IUU vessels. He stressed that relying solely on other countries’ governments is insufficient to combat the pilferage of Namibia’s valuable resources.
As Namibia grapples with these economic losses and environmental threats, the call for international collaboration and swift enforcement measures grows louder to safeguard the sustainability of its aquatic living resources and the viability of its fishing sector.
