Fisheries agency to protest over funding

Employees of the Fisheries Observer Agency (FOA) are expected to hold a peaceful demonstration on Friday over concerns that the agency has been operating under the same funding model for the past 12 years.

The agency introduced the funding model in 2014.

Workers say the situation is no longer sustainable as the agency struggles to cover its expenses.

In a letter dated 26 October, the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) notifies FOA chief executive Stanley Ndara of the planned demonstration.

The protest will take place during lunch hour, from 13h00 to 14h00, with workers expected to hand over a petition to the minister of agriculture, water, fisheries and land reform.

Napwu general secretary Petrus Nevonga says the demonstration would not disrupt the agency’s daily operations.

The planned protest follows calls by Ndara last month for more government funding to increase the number of fisheries observers deployed on fishing vessels.

At the Fisheries Indaba at Walvis Bay, Ndara said Namibia has about 230 licensed fishing vessels and 117 fisheries observers based at Walvis Bay and Lüderitz.

He said observers are not always deployed on vessels, making it difficult to monitor fishing activities and collect accurate information about fish stocks.

He urged the government to provide more funding to the agency so that observers can monitor most, if not all, fishing vessels operating in Namibian waters.

In 2022, employees held a peaceful demonstration demanding a forensic audit of the agency’s finances covering the period from 2017 onwards.

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