Thursday, December 1, 2016 - 10:15
The harvesting of Namibian fish and other marine resources will be managed by a new council for the next three years.
The members of the previous Marine Resource Advisory Council gathered in Swakopmund along with newly nominated members to hand over this very important responsibility recently.
The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernhardt Esau thanked the members of this highly-specialised council for their service and excellent decisions over the past three years. The minister highlighted two specific areas where the outgoing council excelled. He said the council’s response on the issue of seals, particularly with regard to the ongoing court case in Geneva against the European Union’s ban on Namibian seal products. Esau also said the council has done much to help along the process of registering foreign flagged vessels on the Namibian system and reflagging them to be exclusively in service of the country’s fishing industry. He said the local flagging of vessels is important for the industry because it adds value to Namibian fish products and localises investment opportunities.
Esau said the Marine Resources Advisory Council is one of the most important entities established under the Marine Resources Act. Under the Act the council is obligated to advise the minister on the setting of total allowable catch annually, the setting of levies and fees, the expenditure of the fisheries observer fund, the expenditure of the marine resources fund and any matter which the minister refers to the advisory council for investigation and advice.
“As you can see from the list, a properly performing Marine Resources Advisory Council is critical to the successful development of the fisheries sector in Namibia.”
He said that the new council was assembled from persons with a wide variety of skills and experience which he said he believes are essential in the decision-making process on a wide variety of issues.
“I have also required the new council members to sign performance conditions necessary to ensure integrity, transparency and accountability which are all part of the ministry’s core values..”
Mr Esau urged all persons surrounding the new council members to support the council in the decisions for the betterment of the economy and people’s lives. The new Marine Resources Advisory Council Members are Dr Moses Maurihungirire, Anna Ndinelao Erastus, Dr B.W. Oelofsen, Baronice Raschida Hans, Dr Hilkka O.N. Ndjaula, Dr Michael U. Akuupa, Jacob Penda, Miguel Angel Tordesillas, Sacky Kadhila Amoomo, Matti Amukwa, Pieter Greeff, Ndelitungapo O. Shiluwa and Olivia Shuuluka.