Editorial: Exploitation masquerading as industry

The fishing sector has always been shrouded in controversy, but the latest revelation by NamRA commissioner Sam Shivute adds a disturbing new layer. Figures show that workers – through PAYE deductions – contribute more to the national purse than the companies harvesting Namibia’s marine wealth. In 2024/25 alone, over N$13 billion worth of fish left our shores, yet tax collected from the sector amounted to a mere N$713 million, most of it paid by employees.This exposes a brutal irony: Namibians haul the nets, process the catch and pay the taxes, while the real profits sail offshore with raw fish exports that create jobs in foreign factories. Instead of anchoring local development, the sector has become an exporter of wealth and an importer of inequality.It is time to confront this imbalance. The state must tighten enforcement, close loopholes and insist on greater local beneficiation. Fishing rights must serve Namibians first, not shadowy middlemen or distant shareholders. If the ocean’s riches belong to the people, then the people – not foreign buyers – should be the primary beneficiaries.Anything less is exploitation masquerading as industry.

Editorial: Exploitation masquerading as industry

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Namibian Sun 2026-04-01

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Editorial: Exploitation masquerading as industry

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Namibian Sun 2026-04-01

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