Staff Reporter
THE Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani, has called on fishing industry stakeholders to fast-track initiatives that will enable the sector to contribute meaningfully to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while creating quality jobs and attracting strategic investment.
“The desired outcome is to increase the contribution of fisheries to GDP from the current N$10.4 billion to N$10.7 billion (an increase of N$300 million) by 2030. There are specific targets to achieve this, including rebuilding fish stocks, reducing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, increasing the percentage of value addition to local fish products, and, lastly, increasing employment in the sector,” Zaamwani said during a recent meeting with fishing industry stakeholders in Lüderitz.
Zaamwani emphasised that active industry participation is critical to rebuilding fish stocks to sustainable levels. She also encouraged stakeholders to invest in the development of the aquaculture and mariculture sub-sectors, describing them as vital to food security, job creation and economic growth.
“Your expertise and investment are vital in this emerging frontier. Investment in the aquaculture and mariculture sub-sectors constitutes a strategic intervention that will help relieve pressure on aquatic resources, thereby allowing us to rebuild biomass to maximum sustainable yields,” she added.
The minister expressed concern over the overexploitation of fish resources, warning that it could lead to significant job losses. She therefore stressed the urgent need to restore maximum sustainable yields and ensure the long-term sustainable management of aquatic resources to secure the future of the industry.
“To this end, the ministry is at an advanced stage of implementing the Fisheries Scorecard in 2026. This objective and transparent system will measure and mandate performance on critical issues beyond catch levels, including compliance, employment creation, local procurement and, crucially, good governance. It will separate true partners in development from mere participants,” Zaamwani said.
She added that the ministry is intensifying efforts to implement and monitor stricter by-catch measures.
“The protection of non-target species and the broader ecosystem is integral to the health of the stocks on which we depend, as we have placed ecosystem protection at the core of aquatic resource management. At the same time, we need to put in place effective surveillance measures to eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing from our seas. To this end, we are in the final stages of ratifying the WTO Fisheries Protocol to enable collaboration with other countries to curb IUU fishing,” Zaamwani added.
Photo: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform
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