Renthia Kaimbi
A group of 111 fishermen officially allocated to Merlus Cormorant Fishing Company under the Government Employment Redress Programme (GERP) are demanding urgent government intervention, claiming they have been left without employment, contracts, or salaries for five months.
The Okapare Fishermen Association has raised serious concerns over the treatment of workers assigned to Merlus Cormorant, alleging that representatives from the company informed the group earlier this month that only 40 positions were currently available, leaving the future of the remaining workers uncertain.
The fishermen are calling for transparency regarding quota allocations and employment arrangements, and have expressed dismay at what they describe as unequal treatment compared to workers allocated to other companies under the programme .
Speaking on behalf of the affected workers, Okapare Fishermen Association Chairperson Godfried Kuhanga said the fishermen and their families are facing severe financial hardship after allegedly being left without income since January 2026.
“Five months ago, these 111 fishermen were officially allocated to Merlus Cormorant Fishing. They were promised employment, salaries and dignity. Today, five months later, there are no contracts, no work and no pay,” Kuhanga said.
According to Kuhanga, many affected families in Kuisebmond and Walvis Bay are struggling to meet basic needs, including food, rent, school fees and healthcare costs.
“These households are now facing evictions, mounting debt and increasing hardship as they await a resolution” . Kuhanga emphasised that the fishermen are peaceful and willing to work, stating, “We are peaceful people. We are not here to fight. We are here to work. But we cannot work if we are not employed, and we cannot feed our families with promises.”
Group representative and spokesperson Snard Heita confirmed that the 111 fishermen are among former employees of Walu Fishing who were re-assigned under GERP after the government revoked Walu Fishing’s quota due to non-compliance with salary payments.
According to Heita, the former workforce of 222 employees was divided among four fishing companies: Hangana Seafood, Merlus Cormorant, Mabasen Fishing Company, and Ligatum Investment CC.
He claimed that workers allocated to other companies have either resumed work or received compensation, while those assigned to Merlus Cormorant remain without employment. Heita alleged that although the ministry of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform announced in April that quotas had been allocated and that all affected employees were working, the 111 fishermen have yet to receive contracts or salaries.
“We remain stationed at Kuisebmond Stadium with no employment and no pay after five months,” he said.
The fishermen are demanding immediate payment of outstanding salaries, the issuing of employment contracts, and a full investigation into the matter.
However, Merlus Cormorant has rejected the fishermen’s claims, dismissing them as inaccurate and misleading. In a statement issued by chairman Stanley Katzao, the company clarified what it described as the objective, verifiable facts regarding the dispute.
Merlus Cormorant stated that no employment relationship currently exists with the 111 individuals due to outstanding administrative and placement mismatches that the company has actively tried to resolve since April 2026.
The company further asserted that under the formal GERP Designation Agreement received on 10 June 2026, the agreement only legally commences once employment is offered and accepted, meaning that because contracts have not been finalized, no wages have been generated or withheld.
Merlus Cormorant also refuted claims regarding quota allocations, stating that public assertions that the company received a 2,655 metric ton quota for these 111 workers are completely false.
The company explained that this quota belongs to a separate group of 262 GERP employees who are currently fully and legally employed by Merlus, and that zero quota has been released by the government for the new group of 111 individuals.
The company further claimed that the workers refused available onshore positions, stating that its fleet is fully occupied with no sea-going vacancies, a fact formally acknowledged by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in writing on 27 May 2026.
According to Merlus Cormorant, the company repeatedly offered onshore factory employment to the group, but during direct consultations, the workers explicitly stated they would only accept employment at sea and refused factory placement.
The company also pointed to a regulatory deadlock, explaining that government regulators have explicitly stated that no quota will be allocated to the company for this new group until employment contracts are signed, creating an administrative deadlock where the company is asked to hire workers before the means to sustain them is granted.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions within the GERP framework, which was established to re-employ fishermen who lost their jobs following industrial action in 2015.
The programme has been plagued by allegations of poor implementation, discrimination in salary allocations, and companies using beneficiaries as springboards to secure fishing quotas without providing meaningful employment .
The Metal, Mining, Maritime and Construction Workers Union has reportedly rejected demands by Merlus Cormorant to retract public statements concerning the 111 fishermen.
The workers have called for urgent intervention from relevant authorities to ensure all affected workers are either employed or compensated in accordance with commitments made during the allocation process.
