Nearly 5 200 applications for fishing rights

WINDHOEK, SEPT. 6 – The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources received 5 193 applications for fishing rights from all application centres countrywide.
This was announced by Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernhardt Esau on Wednesday.
Esau said the ministry will announce the names of all applicants, broken down by species applied for, in the print media for transparency.
The successful applicants will be announced on 31 December 2018.
The minister said the evaluation committee will be vetted by the Anti-Corruption Commission to ensure that no committee members hold fishing rights interests.
“Due to limited fisheries rights not all Namibians and indeed applicants can be issued with a fishing right,” said Esau.
He added that if the ministry is to issue every applicant with a fishing right, it would make the fisheries sector uneconomical, which would lead to an unsustainable scramble for marine resources.
Esau further refuted allegations that not all Namibians benefit from fishing rights, saying the fishing sector pays resource rent through levies and fishing quota fees, which go to the Ministry of Finance to be added to the national budget. He said this year alone, the ministry has paid N.dollars 600 million in taxes on resource rent.
“The money is redistributed through the budget to all the line ministries and agencies which benefits all Namibians,” he said.
Esau further noted that long-term sustainability of fisheries stocks should be ensured by harvesting at a sustainable level as determined through thorough periodic scientific studies for the sake of future generations of Namibians.
“Successful candidates will have the responsibility, on behalf of all Namibians, to add value and ensure that its economic benefits are shared through resource rent (levies and fees), income tax, job creation, enterprise and regional initiatives.” – NAMPA