The Confederation of Namibian Fishing Associations (CNFA) has warned that protecting jobs in the fishing sector should not jeopardise the country's marine resources.
This comes after more than 634 employees at Princess Brand Processing have handed over a petition to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, calling for urgent intervention to prevent retrenchments in the wet-landed pelagic sector.
The company has since laid off all 634 workers due to a lack of quotas.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
"While it is unfortunate to lose jobs, which may cause a few people hardship, you cannot support jobs in a sector reliant on fishing in a sanctuary at the cost of other subsectors and people working in the industry," says CNFA chairperson Matti Amukwa.
"We are not the owners of the resource, we are only the custodians, and we have to manage it responsibly for future generations," he says.
Amukwa says the association does not support the call for an exclusive fishing zone for one company.
"The fisheries ministry permitted Princess Brand to carry out 'experimental' fishing contrary to regulations and the wishes of other industry subsectors who support the no-fishing rule inside the 200-metre contour line," he says.
"Allowing fishing inside the closed area, which is also the breeding ground for juvenile hake, monk and horse mackerel, will destroy the biomass that is the backbone of our fisheries," Amukwa adds.
Shop steward Silas Petrus says employees are asking the government to allocate an exclusive fishing zone to protect jobs.
"We're proposing that the government allocate a fishing zone so we can continue working," he says.
Princess Brand managing director Adolf Burger has confirmed that retrenchment letters were issued at the end of September.
Burger says the company has had continuous engagement with employees, which is still ongoing.
"From the company's side, our operations came to an end at the end of October. We've been discussing the issue with the ministry and other stakeholders for several years, but we can no longer sustain operations," he says.
The petition details that the company had been authorised to fish experimentally within a 200m isobar (water depth) until 31 October as part of a three-year project.
Workers requested interim horse mackerel quotas and the creation of an exclusive fishing zone to maintain employment and improve working conditions.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Princess Brand Processing says it supports its employees and remains committed to dialogue with stakeholders to restore operations and protect jobs, while developing a sustainable wet horse mackerel sector for Namibia.
In 2022, more than 1 300 workers at Princess Brand and Gendev petitioned the fisheries and labour ministries after similar retrenchment threats.
At the time, the federation opposed the request, warning it would undermine marine conservation efforts.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
