Weak patrols expose Namibia’s seas to plunder, audit warns
Nikanor Nangolo/Windhoek
Namibia’s fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been badly weakened by a shortage of patrol vessels.A follow-up performance audit by the Office of the Auditor-General revealed that the patrol vessel Nathaniel Maxuilili was docked for repairs for two consecutive financial years, 2021/22 and 2022/23.
The audit also highlighted severe staffing shortages within the fisheries monitoring system.
The Fisheries Observer Agency (FOA), which is mandated to place observers on all vessels, operated at barely half capacity, the report stated.
Out of 230 observer posts, only 125 were filled, providing just 53% coverage across the fleet.
The ministry had also adopted a policy of “natural attrition”, freezing recruitment to contain the FOA wage bill. This meant that as observers left, their posts went unfilled.
Observers are responsible for data collection, compliance monitoring and reporting violations at sea.
The shortage reduced the quality of information available to scientists and enforcement officers, the report noted, making it more difficult to assess the status of fish stocks or to detect illegal practices such as discarding, under-reporting, or fishing in restricted areas.
Stronger surveillance
The report follows up on the 2016 performance audit, which had recommended stronger surveillance of Namibia’s Exclusive Economic Zone, better planning and maintenance of patrol vessels, as well as the deployment of fisheries observers on all licensed vessels. It also recommended effective communication during air patrols, stricter enforcement against illegal fishing methods, the establishment of inland fisheries councils and the introduction of community-based reserves and closed seasons.
The 2016 audit warned that vessel breakdowns, weak observer coverage and ineffective inland enforcement were undermining the country’s ability to manage its fish stocks sustainably.
Between 2016 and the reporting period (2020/21 to 2022/23), progress was uneven.
The follow-up audit found that out of 11 original recommendations, only four were fully implemented, five were partially implemented and two were not implemented.
Among the successes were the activation of the vessel monitoring system, which now tracks every licensed fishing vessel, and the gazetting of 10 community fisheries management areas in the Zambezi and Kavango regions.
The ministry also enforced closed fishing seasons in the Zambezi and maintained the ban on monofilament nets.
However, key recommendations such as ensuring consistent patrol planning, rebuilding sardine stocks through uninterrupted research cruises, expanding fisheries observer coverage, improving radio communication during air patrols and establishing the inland fisheries council and committee were either left incomplete or not implemented at all.
Constrained operations
During 2021/22, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources planned six patrol trips of 16 to 20 days each.
With the Maxuilili grounded, the ministry was left with only one operational vessel, the Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda, the report stated.
This reduced the ministry’s ability to cover Namibian waters, and only 64% of the planned patrol targets were achieved.
Five patrol missions were abandoned altogether.
The following year, 2022/23, patrol performance recovered, according to the report.
The return of the Nathaniel Maxuilili, supported by the Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda and a civilian craft, enabled the ministry to exceed its target, with the ministry reporting 121% of planned patrols.
Air surveillance was also hampered during the review period.
In 2020/21, only three air patrols were carried out. Technical breakdowns, delays in renewing pilot licences, and restrictions linked to the pandemic meant flights were either cancelled or limited to basic observations.
Large patrol areas, understaffing
Communication problems between the fisheries monitoring centre and pilots persisted, with auditors noting delays of up to seven minutes in establishing radio contact during test checks in Walvis Bay.
On inland waters, inspectors faced similar challenges.
In the Kavango-East region, only four fisheries inspectors were available to patrol more than 400 km of the river system.
Many inspectors reported intimidation from armed fishermen and lacked adequate equipment to ensure their safety during night operations, when most illegal fishing occurs.
[email protected]
Namibia’s fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been badly weakened by a shortage of patrol vessels.A follow-up performance audit by the Office of the Auditor-General revealed that the patrol vessel Nathaniel Maxuilili was docked for repairs for two consecutive financial years, 2021/22 and 2022/23.
The audit also highlighted severe staffing shortages within the fisheries monitoring system.
The Fisheries Observer Agency (FOA), which is mandated to place observers on all vessels, operated at barely half capacity, the report stated.
Out of 230 observer posts, only 125 were filled, providing just 53% coverage across the fleet.
The ministry had also adopted a policy of “natural attrition”, freezing recruitment to contain the FOA wage bill. This meant that as observers left, their posts went unfilled.
Observers are responsible for data collection, compliance monitoring and reporting violations at sea.
The shortage reduced the quality of information available to scientists and enforcement officers, the report noted, making it more difficult to assess the status of fish stocks or to detect illegal practices such as discarding, under-reporting, or fishing in restricted areas.
Stronger surveillance
The report follows up on the 2016 performance audit, which had recommended stronger surveillance of Namibia’s Exclusive Economic Zone, better planning and maintenance of patrol vessels, as well as the deployment of fisheries observers on all licensed vessels. It also recommended effective communication during air patrols, stricter enforcement against illegal fishing methods, the establishment of inland fisheries councils and the introduction of community-based reserves and closed seasons.
The 2016 audit warned that vessel breakdowns, weak observer coverage and ineffective inland enforcement were undermining the country’s ability to manage its fish stocks sustainably.
Between 2016 and the reporting period (2020/21 to 2022/23), progress was uneven.
The follow-up audit found that out of 11 original recommendations, only four were fully implemented, five were partially implemented and two were not implemented.
Among the successes were the activation of the vessel monitoring system, which now tracks every licensed fishing vessel, and the gazetting of 10 community fisheries management areas in the Zambezi and Kavango regions.
The ministry also enforced closed fishing seasons in the Zambezi and maintained the ban on monofilament nets.
However, key recommendations such as ensuring consistent patrol planning, rebuilding sardine stocks through uninterrupted research cruises, expanding fisheries observer coverage, improving radio communication during air patrols and establishing the inland fisheries council and committee were either left incomplete or not implemented at all.
Constrained operations
During 2021/22, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources planned six patrol trips of 16 to 20 days each.
With the Maxuilili grounded, the ministry was left with only one operational vessel, the Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda, the report stated.
This reduced the ministry’s ability to cover Namibian waters, and only 64% of the planned patrol targets were achieved.
Five patrol missions were abandoned altogether.
The following year, 2022/23, patrol performance recovered, according to the report.
The return of the Nathaniel Maxuilili, supported by the Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda and a civilian craft, enabled the ministry to exceed its target, with the ministry reporting 121% of planned patrols.
Air surveillance was also hampered during the review period.
In 2020/21, only three air patrols were carried out. Technical breakdowns, delays in renewing pilot licences, and restrictions linked to the pandemic meant flights were either cancelled or limited to basic observations.
Large patrol areas, understaffing
Communication problems between the fisheries monitoring centre and pilots persisted, with auditors noting delays of up to seven minutes in establishing radio contact during test checks in Walvis Bay.
On inland waters, inspectors faced similar challenges.
In the Kavango-East region, only four fisheries inspectors were available to patrol more than 400 km of the river system.
Many inspectors reported intimidation from armed fishermen and lacked adequate equipment to ensure their safety during night operations, when most illegal fishing occurs.
[email protected]
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