Over the years, there has been steady investment, technological improvement and growth in the fishing industry and the government of Namibia has challenged that investors’ performance should be measured on per quota ton issued to derive the benefit companies give to Namibia per quota ton versus the investors’ competitors.

This is largely because the exportation of unprocessed fish and marine resources results in Namibia losing out on possible additional revenue as well as valuable employment opportunities. 

Namibia has thus created investment opportunities through value addition in which jobs can be created in the chain of technological advancement where the companies do not increase the cost without value.

For example, over the last decade fishing companies invested in improved freezing and grading technology and systems to ensure Namibian horse mackerel compared on every level with its competitors except for the fat content which is inherent in the fish.

By focusing on consistent quality and year round availability Namibia has become a reliant and thus preferred supplier of Sea Frozen Namibian horse mackerel globally.

With the reassurance that horse mackerel can be successfully caught and brought to shore, unprocessed in refrigerated sea water, the unprocessed fish brought to shore will be processed in a factory. That is value addition.

Namibia thus requires and offers massive investments for value adding through the construction of off-shore factories, cold storages. This will enable fishing companies to create jobs and value through activities such as canning, smaller retail packages, gutted, deboned, filleted, breaded, cured, smoked, salted and dried production.

In addition bulk production at affordable prices and good quality will form the backbone of the products as the country aims to, over time, progress with developing markets for value added fisheries products.

In addition a high grade fishmeal, bone meal and pharmaceutical quality fish oil and protein concentrate will be made from any waste material.

Namibia is a middle-income country whose considerable successes rest on a strong multiparty parliamentary democracy that delivers sound economic management, good governance, basic civic freedoms, and respect for human rights. These conditions are favorable for long- term investments.

The National Development Plans are poverty focused containing macroeconomic and structural benchmarks consistent with the country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) – National Poverty Reduction Action Program (NPRAP) which was formulated in 1998. The PRS focuses on increasing agricultural production and productivity; promoting community based tourism; promoting the development of small and medium scale enterprises; strengthening social safety nets; and labor intensive public works.

Namibia has rich fishing grounds based on the Benguela Current System, one of the four eastern boundary up-welling systems in the world (the others are off North – West Africa, off-California and off- Peru). These systems support rich stocks of demersal and small pelagic species. The management system in place is efficient, the Namibian waters are not polluted and resources are healthy fisheries regulated through TACs.

The MFMR has a regulatory framework basis for a sustainable management of the fisheries sector including: marine fisheries, freshwater fisheries and aquaculture both marine and inland. UNCLOS, CCRF and IPOA to combat IUU fishing are incorporated into laws. Concerning the management aspects, the MFMR, which is advised by the Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC), has three Research vessels (R/V), the Welwitchia and (Walvis Bay), the R/V Anichab (Luderitz) and the R/V Mirabilis.

The research centers (NatMIRC, Hardap); NAMFI and the sub- regional program BCC (through the SADC management policy), are useful institutions contributing to best understanding of the fisheries sector and training/capacity building in the fishery sector. The Monitoring, control and Surveillance System is efficient. The waters are controlled by a patrol vessel and by an aircraft, the marine supplement these operations. The inspectors are disseminated along the coast and observers are embarked on board fishing vessels which are equipped with VMS systems.

The Public- Private dialogues are strong. The private sector grouped under the umbrella of the Federation of fishing is working closely with the MFMR in implementing a responsible fishery. Further, the MFMR assists aquaculture farm to implement GPA.

Government cooperates for the export health certificate delivery and also the enterprise status of the fish plants, as well on the Coast Conservation and Management and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies. The Namibian Standards Institution is accredited ISO 17025 by SANAS (SA) and some plants have been already certified ISO 22000.

The Walvis Bay Port has recently been expanded to better serve vessels (fishing vessels, reefers, cargos). The products (live, fresh, frozen and canned) oriented to the export market are of high quality even in the regional markets (DRC, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa).

• Conservation of the biodiversity and Ecosystems;
• Maintenance of genetic diversity;
• Protection of rare or threatened Species and communities;
• Contributions to technology and Scientific knowledge;
• Conservation of scientific reference sites;
• Conservation of cultural heritage; Educational opportunities
• Contribution to sustainable tourism.