Namibia government plans shift into essence of fish exporting
(MENAFN) Namibia is taking steps to move its fishing industry away from exporting raw fish toward building a complete seafood economy, officials announced Wednesday.
During a meeting with leaders from the fishing sector in Walvis Bay, Inge Zaamwani, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform, outlined the government’s plan under the new National Development Plan. The initiative aims to increase the proportion of locally processed fish from 23 percent to 45 percent within the next five years.
Zaamwani said the shift is projected to generate 15,000 permanent jobs in processing, cut raw fish exports by 60 percent, and encourage the creation of new high-value seafood products for global markets. To support this, mandatory processing rules will be applied to all holders of fishing quotas, and industry players are urged to collaborate with the government.
The minister also highlighted that the sector’s contribution to Namibia’s GDP fell from 4.5 percent in 2023 to 4.1 percent in 2024, mainly due to reduced allowable catches of key species like hake and horse mackerel.
To address the issue of excessive bycatch, the ministry plans to enforce stricter rules and improve adherence to the recently established 2 percent bycatch limits. Additionally, the bycatch fee will rise from 15 to 50 percent, Zaamwani added.
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