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MARIA SHAANIKA
Fisheries Minister Bernhard Esau said many existing rights holders consider their current quota allocations as a right.
He said this in Parliament last week when he explained the implementation of a scorecard for allocating fishing quotas.
Esau said many existing rights holders see themselves as having all the fishing rights and have a hard time accepting a reduction in their quotas, especially when new rights holders are introduced into the sector.
Right holders who have been allocated quotas since independence have been invited to submit information to the Ministry to determine the size of their new allocations.
However, they found the process complicated, the initial allocation after independence not being aligned with a measurable criterion, he added.
"Our analysis at the ministry indicates that these companies have not sufficiently namibized their shareholding structure, nor invested in the creation of added value for the creation of jobs," he added.
Because of this rights mentality, rights holders complain when the government creates new businesses in the sector or allocates fishing quotas to government objectives of creating added value and creating jobs, said the Minister. .
Esau reiterated that the current allocation did not assess rightholders' performance against measurable criteria, as it lacked a mechanism to increase the Namibianization of the sector once the fishing rights had increased. been granted. There is no clear reward system for creating jobs or investment in the sector, nor clear mechanisms to discourage quota trading, particularly by Namibian rights holders who should build their capacity and contribute to the Namibianization of the sector, added the minister.
He then explained to the government the benefits of fishing quotas, such as the payment of quota fees, taxes, job creation and other indirect economic benefits.
"The allocation of fishing quotas represents a transfer of wealth from collective ownership by all Namibians to the right holder, who, depending on his ability to catch, land and process fish, sells it to its value, "he added.
In addition, the Minister said that the implementation of a dashboard would give meaning to the urgent need to ensure that fishing benefits all Namibians.
The dashboard contains measurable factors that, when completed by the holder, can be used to measure their performance.
"Performance is measured as a percentage, which, applied to a given fishery [species], can be used to determine the amount of each rights holder should be allocated, "said the minister.
He added that the allocation of quotas would depend on the performance and the annual assessment of the holder of the fishing rights, according to their score.
"It is possible that some rightholders will receive stronger quotas, while others will receive little or no allowance," he added.
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