Stefanus Nashama
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has been provided with over N$8,5 million by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to undertake a landscape assessment of small-scale fisheries across the country.
According to the Ministry, the N$8,5 million is also meant for the Ministry to undertake stakeholder consultations to obtain inputs to develop the Action Plan.
This follows the Ministry’s request for support from the Food and Agriculture Organization to be able to implement the voluntary guidelines on securing sustainable small-scale fisheries, over five years ago.
Speaking at the Ministerial Dialogue on small-scale fisheries yesterday in Windhoek, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Derek Klazen, said with the funds, the Ministry was able to make consultations with over 450 stakeholders in all 14 Regions of the country.
He indicated that in June 2022, the Ministry succeeded in launching Namibia’s National Plan of Action for small-scale fisheries at an event held in Swakopmund.
Klazen indicated that the National Plan of Action for small-scale fisheries is a five-year plan that runs from 2022 to 2026.
The total cost of implementing the activities under the plan has been costed to the tune of N$ 19 million across five key Components or Priority areas, the Minster stated.
The National Plan of Action for small-scale fisheries aimed at the development of small-scale fisheries to ensure that the socio-economic benefit that can be derived by fisherwomen and men is maximized sustainably.
However, Klazen said the Ministry, together with stakeholders is required to raise N$19 million to fund the priority activities outlined in the Action Plan.
“In essence, Namibia’s National Plan of Action for small-scale fisheries presents the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources’ priority investment areas for inland and coastal small-scale fisheries,” he said.
Klazen said his goal is to see the small-scale fisheries sector supported, transformed, and scaled in terms of its socio-economic contribution to the local economy and community livelihoods, thus engaging the stakeholders.
The small-scale fisheries sector contributes to food and nutrition security, livelihoods and poverty alleviation, local economic development, cultural heritage and traditional knowledge, ecosystem conservation, resilience and adaptation, and governance and community engagement, according to the Minister.
