The small-scale fisheries subsector has been overlooked as a commercial sector that can also contribute to the country's food security.
This was said by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources' deputy director of aquaculture and inland fisheries, John Hamukwaya, at the start of a recent three-day training workshop on gender transformative approaches (GTA) for small-scale fishers, fish farmers and sellers at Uulili in the Oshana region.
Hamukwaya said for many years the subsector has not been accounted for in terms of its contribution to food security as well as economic growth.
He said the GTA training, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), was part of the government's effort to uplift the subsector by educating small-scale fishers on how to fish sustainably and inform them of existing laws that affect the sector.
"The ministry is also focused on consulting small-scale fishers on the challenges they are faced with, and finding solutions on how best to resolve them," he said.
According to the FAO Namibia newsletter for November, at least 31 participants attended the training workshop, which was held two weeks ago.
The training was aimed at supporting improved post-harvest practices and preservation among small-scale fishers and at equipping them with the necessary skills to succeed in the small-scale fisheries sector.
It also sought to engage the subsector at grassroots level and gauge the views of locals at common fishing spots in the region.
Hamukwaya said the government's focus has largely been on commercial fishing, however, the ministry has realised there is a large number of local fishermen at grassroots level whose input is equally relevant in bettering the fishing sector.
"We want to interrogate the challenges faced by the small-scale fishermen. Even in our laws we did not really pay attention to small-scale fishers, but the majority of our people are benefiting from this sector," Hamukwaya said.
He said that to date, 45 000 people have directly benefitted from the small-scale fisheries subsector, while about 280 000 people (approximately 11% of the country's total population) living along the coastal area, rivers and lakes are benefitting directly or indirectly from the sector.
"The sector provides income, employment, food security, nutrition and socio-economic benefits," he said.
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During the workshop, various issues were brought up by small-scale fishers, including a lack of access to the mainstream fisheries market which keeps them from earning a decent income.
The chief fisheries biologist in the Oshana region, Elizabeth Ndivayele, who oversees all catching areas in the region, said there is a need for a structured plan for processing fish, because currently fish are processed traditionally through unsanitary means of gutting and drying, which poses a health risk to consumers.
"The current means to process fish is unhygienic, because the fish are dried in an open area and sometimes on the ground, and as a result they sometimes have sand and germs on them," she said.
Ndivayele said the current camping arrangements for small-scale fishers need to be addressed as they are sleeping in rooms made from recycled plastics without any water or sanitation facilities.
Most do not have access to proper fishing gear or life-saving jackets, and many, especially women, cannot swim, she said.
