Mayday at sea!

Glaring financial challenges faced by the Fisheries Observer Agency (FOA), which is tasked to conduct research and police the country’s marine jurisdiction, are threatening the long-term sustainability of the lucrative fishing industry.

The agency is supposed to enforce regulations governing the harvesting, handling and processing of marine resources off Namibia’s coast.

It is also responsible for collecting scientific data which is used by the fisheries ministry to determine the total allowable catch for each fishing season. But funding challenges have since placed all its activities in jeopardy.

To avoid it from sinking into the deep sea of marine exploitation, the FOA wants the fisheries ministry to either increase the fisheries levy by almost 100%, allocate a fishing quota to it or review the export landed value of all fisheries.

The unenviable blend of depleting financial reserves and limited manpower has seen fishing vessels going to sea without any observers onboard, with many seizing the opportunity to carry out acts of non-compliance while sailing Namibia’s rich fishing grounds.

The most common transgressions range from illegal bunkering at sea, discarding fish and non-biodegradable objects, fishing gear not complying with licence conditions, incomplete log sheets as well as flagrant disregard of licence conditions.

The agency’s board chairperson Inocencio Verde confirmed that they met with the ministry’s top officials, but refused to share details of the discussions.

“We have consulted our line ministry and shared with them our challenges. At this stage, we would not like to discuss internal company matters or discussions held with our shareholder in the public domain until the ministry pronounces itself,” he said when approached earlier this week.

Diving revenues

During the meeting held earlier this month, the agency’s leadership reportedly vented their frustrations over the lack of financial support from the ministry.

This while official documents - seen by Namibian Sun - reveal that the FOA’s annual employee costs jumped from N$37 million in 2014 to N$66 million in 2022.

Its reserves also dropped from N$39 million in March 2017 to N$8 million in March 2022.

The FOA told ministerial officials that its operational costs and stagnant funding model are impeding the collection of data as well as observing activities.

The agency’s officials also bemoaned the fact that the landing values of the fisheries ministry’s levies were increased until 2017, however FOA’s have not changed from 0.9% since 2014.

They want this levy to be pushed up to 1.5%. They also want a fishing quota in order to use the proceeds to support the agency’s operations.

Fisheries minister Derek Klazen was a notable absentee at the meeting. He told Namibian Sun yesterday that he could not attend because he was at another meeting, "but my technical people were there”.

Damning stats

Official statistics seen by Namibian Sun indicate that the agency needs at least 230 observers in order to effectively police vessels embarking on fishing trips, however, there are only 138 on its books.

There are currently 120 licenced vessels allowed to fish in Namibian waters.

Of the 6 893 fishing trips undertaken by these vessels between 2019 and 2022, data shows that vessel crews were policing themselves on more than 40% of trips undertaken.

Thousands of non-observer authorisation letters were issued to licenced vessels over the last three years. These letters exempt vessels from having a fisheries observer onboard.

An official from the agency – who refused to be named - described the situation as “suicidal”.

“Our fisheries industry is worth N$13 billion yearly and employs thousands of Namibians, yet we are treating it like a stepchild. These commercial companies are having a field day out there because they can do as they please.”

The source said observers have in the past picked up an avalanche of transgressions on vessels that are out at sea.

“Imagine if these crews can attempt illegal activities while our observers are onboard, one cannot even imagine what they do when they are out there on their own. Perhaps our leaders will only pay attention when the agency is dead and they cannot get credible data to base their decisions on.”

The agency’s ageing workforce, averaging 47 years, is also said to stagnate its efforts.

Levy storms

The lucrative hake species is the most sought-after fish in Namibian waters, with hake trawling making up a huge chunk of fishing trips undertaken.

Sources at the agency claimed that government is being short-changed by fishing firms when it comes to accruing maximum revenue from levies.

For instance, the average landed value for hake - as submitted by the hake right holders - is set at N$27.42.

However, when the same information was requested from the customs division in the finance ministry, the weighted data on hake indicates that the average landed value is actually N$39.70.

The agency proposed that the customs weighted average value of hake be the basis of discussion for landed value.