Compliance affects quota allocation

Fisheries and marine resources minister Bernhardt Esau has ascribed his resistance to release any quotas to the industry's non-compliance with requests for vital information by the ministry.

“I released hake and monk quotas this week due to a push and pull situation and on humanitarian grounds. I was put under pressure due to possible layoffs faced by the industry and backpedalled.”

The minister gave assurance that come September, the Score Card System (SCS) being developed by the ministry, which is based on various criteria, would be in place.

“I am a little bit lenient and as a collective will release what we have for now. Change must come for sure. Whether information is there or not, we will use our common sense and based on the time and you applied for a right or quota, that information will be factored in to finalise the SCS.

“We will assign weights for each criterion and that will ultimately determine how much quota a company will get in this fishing sector. It is vital to take note that the cut-off date for the submissions of requested information to the ministry was in September/ October 2017 for hake and January 2018 for horse mackerel.”

Esau said the fact that he was withholding quotas was not because he was not doing well.

“I am doing well, because I am trying to ensure that the interests of the people are taken care of by the enterprises. I am not keeping quota for myself. It is your quota. The resource belongs to all Namibians.

“Those who are gossiping should stop doing so. I will still speak out even if I am no longer there. We are in the struggle for economic emancipation and I am ready to fight and die in order for everybody to come on board. ”

He said it was time for right holders to realise that “a business as usual” situation and approach would no longer be allowed. He labelled investment in the sector an essential component that would be considered during the allocation of quotas and the issuance of fishing rights.

“Investment and compliance are crucial and the ministry would not backpedal on demands for value addition and job creation. The ministry recognises right holders who make tangible investments in fisheries.

“It is part of the criteria in the Act which I am keen to enforce. Those who do not invest in the development of fisheries and comply with other criteria in terms of the Act should not expect to sustain their fishing rights or quotas.”

Esau called for understanding from workers and said government wanted to Namibianise the industry in the true sense of the word and make them owners of companies and vessels.

“Workers must come on board, organise and obtain shares in companies. They must also share in the profits and losses of companies. The means of production must be owned and include all Namibians.

“Therefore factors such as citizenship, ownership and control of vessels, procurement and investing in the industry are some of the requirements that will determine whether those who apply for a right or quota will eventually receive it.”

Esau also requested that the fishing industry redouble their efforts in terms of job creation, value addition and infrastructure development and said he was convinced that the domestication of activities could multiply the current 16 500 direct fishing jobs more than fivefold, which would greatly address poverty and income equality.

“We must go beyond the traditional way of creating fishing jobs on the decks of vessels. A 70/30 ratio for processing horse mackerel will eventually come. This means a situation will come when 70% of a 300-ton TAC for wet fish must be landed for processing and the remaining 30% can be caught as freezer quota on sea.”

The minister said he wanted to see job creation, as it had been done in the hake industry. He pointed out that of the 16 000 jobs created more than 10 000 are land based and said that was achieved via a 140 000-ton TAC only for hake.

“If we take three times this amount of quota why can't we create 30 000 new jobs? Walvis Bay and the Erongo Region must be fully employed.

“We should not only be focused on cashing in by getting and selling quotas repeatedly. We are not there for this and it must end.

“Jobs must be created along the entire value-adding chain in the fishing sector. People want Namibian hake due to its supreme quality.

“We must add value to resources and unlock the potential of jobs in the processing of raw material. We should add all value here at home and Walvis Bay must become a hub for all fishing value-chain activities,” he said.