WINDHOEK: Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Derek Klazen said the fisheries sector remains one of the significant contributors to economic growth, employment creation, nutrition, and foreign exchange earnings.
Klazen said here on Monday that the industry further provides additional support to State revenue through taxes and levies, including the Marine Resources Fund, by-catch fees, and observer levies.
The Namibia Statistics Agency last year recorded that the fishing industry was worth over N.dollars 20 billion and directly employed about 18 000 people, while contributing 4.5 per cent and representing over 14 per cent of export earnings.
“The success of the fishing sector is owed to the financial investment that we continuously make in resource surveys, as well as environmental and coastal biodiversity surveys,” Klazen said.
These surveys are important for the ministry in order to determine the level of biomass of the species and set the total allowable catch for the commercially exploited fisheries.
“Data collected under these activities is critical to the management of our resources and the conservation of our marine ecosystem,” he added during a briefing providing updates on the ministry’s programmes.
Klazen said his ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation, is implementing the Government Employment Redressing Programme to support and maintain permanent employment within the fishing sector.
“To date, about 1 220 workers are employed under this programme. In order to ensure that the ministry and the fishing industry are working towards a common goal, the ministry conducts annual industry consultation meetings to discuss pertinent issues affecting the sector and reach consensus for sustainable fisheries management,” he said.
The minister added that an inter-ministerial committee is expected to finalise the Blue Economy Policy during this financial year.
“The Blue Economy Policy, once implemented, will enhance an effective governance and management system that sustainably maximises economic benefits from marine resources and ensure equitable marine wealth distribution to all Namibians,” he said.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency