Fish pirates disappear under the action of the Namibian Navy

Niel Terblanche

The flagrant theft of fish in sensitive areas, indispensable for the reproduction and spawning of some of Namibia's most valuable fisheries resources by foreign trawlers, has prompted the Namibian Navy to take direct action.
The Namibian Navy vessel Elephant was sighted in the area between Cape Fria and the mouth of the Kunene River shortly after the fish pirates were caught in the act while decimating a vital species of fish. mackerel.In the shallow waters just behind the waves at Foz de Kunene.
The presence of the Namibian warship saw pirates fishing north, in search of quieter waters off the Angolan coast.
A tourist in the region only accessible by certain types of aircraft or four-wheel drive vehicles and rarely visited by people photographed the warship near the shore on the coast strip between Cape Fria and Foz de Kunene .
In the presentation of photographic evidence of captured pirates stealing Namibian fish during the second week of December, Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Bernard Esau reacted with shock and said that Angolan fishing vessel were equivalent to inviting war.
"Not only is the ship in Namibian territorial waters, but it can also be seen that it is within 200 meters of the shore. Most fish species breed and breed in the near-shore region and destroy one of Namibia's most valuable resources, "said Minister Esau.
The Namibian warship was spotted in the area where the pirates operated for a day or two after the minister became aware of the photographic evidence.
Colonel Petrus Shilumbu, a spokesman for the Namibian Defense Force, has certainly not officially confirmed the deployment of the NS elephant in the area where the foreign trawler operated for reasons of national security. He was only willing to say that the Namibian navy has been sailing to defend the territorial waters of Namibia since its establishment.
The Namibian navy is mandated to conduct defense operations of the Republic of Namibia, but it also carries out operations other than war to defend national interests.
The NS Elephant is a multi-purpose warship of Chinese construction, serving the Namibian Navy since 2012.