Call on Govt to end secrecy in fishing sector

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has called on the government to end the ‘secrecy’ in the fishing industry, stressing the need to make public the details of fishing rights and quota-holders, including beneficial ownership information. IPPR executive director Graham Hopwood says the government should move quickly on reforms that have already been identified. He made the call at the National Fisheries Indaba at the weekend where he challenged the government to turn the outcomes of the Indaba into concrete reforms. “End the secrecy – publish details of all fishing rights and quota holders, including beneficial ownership information,” he says. He also calls for amendments to the Marine Resources Act to reduce ministerial discretion over quota allocations and for Namibia to join the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI). “Namibia does not need a drawn-out indaba process to start cleaning up the fishing industry,” Hopwood said. “What is needed is political will and determined action at the top.” Hopwood warns that delaying meaningful reform could allow corruption to become further embedded in the sector, including within institutions responsible for managing it. IPPR published ‘After Fishrot – The Urgent Need for Transparency and Accountability’ in 2022, and Hopwood says its recommendations remain relevant. The institution says Namibia already knows some of the key governance problems that need to be addressed in the fishing industry. The three-day indaba, held at Walvis Bay, brought together government, industry, labour, communities, scientists and other stakeholders to discuss the future of Namibia’s fisheries sector. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says fisheries could not be managed in isolation, stressing that science, governance, enforcement, investment, employment, value addition, data and administration are interconnected. She says science must underpin decisions on fish stocks and calls for action to address pressure on key stocks and protect the biological foundation of the sector. Nandi-Ndaitwah says foreign and domestic investment remain important, but must be balanced with national benefit. She also places employment at the centre of fisheries reform and says greater domestic landing and processing should be considered to maximise jobs and value for Namibia. On ownership, Nandi-Ndaitwah says genuine Namibian participation requires safeguards against fronting and the inappropriate disposal of fishing rights. She further stresses that transparency must apply to both the government and industry, and that honesty and integrity are essential to effective regulation. She also calls for stronger intervention on excessive bycatch if current arrangements proves inadequate and says expiring fishing rights require timely and credible review. Agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform minister Inge Zaamwani says the gathering was not intended to become another platform for discussions without action. “This indaba is not intended to be another talking platform,” Zaamwani says. She says government had already discussed the challenges facing the industry in April, while a task force had since worked on proposed solutions. Zaamwani says the process needed to move from evidence to reform, with clear responsibilities and timelines for implementation. “These are the main issues we have to address and assign clear responsibilities and timelines for implementation,” she says. She also warns delegates – “we do not have time”. Zaamwani says the indaba had to examine how Namibia’s fisheries resources are governed, protected and utilised, including who receives access to the resources, the basis on which access is granted and the level of transparency, accountability and institutional integrity involved.