Ministry dismisses illegal fishing reports at Namibia-Angola border
Illegal fishing remains major concern there though
The ministry remains on high alert as illegal fishing continues to be a serious concern.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has dismissed recent claims of illegal fishing in northern Namibia, while stressing its ongoing surveillance efforts in the area. Social media posts showing foreign fishing vessels allegedly operating within Namibia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) sparked widespread concern. The posts included photos of vessels with fish and coordinates as evidence. However, the ministry maintains that no illegal fishing has occurred within Namibian waters despite heightened monitoring.
In a statement released on Monday, the executive director of the ministry, Annely Haiphene, acknowledged the reports with “grave concern and interest.” The ministry analysed the shared content to verify if the vessels were indeed fishing illegally.
“The ministry has established that [one of the vessels] was indeed in Namibian waters on passage back to Angola from Walvis Bay harbour and was at no time involved in fishing activities during this journey. The snapshot image for this vessel is available, depicting its movement during the period,” Haiphene clarified.
She also stated that the other vessels seen in the online footage were actually within Angolan waters.
Heightened surveillance near the border
Haiphene addressed the “unusual” clustering of fishing vessels near the border, which led to the deployment of the ministry’s flagship patrol vessel, Anna Kakurukaze, for extended monitoring since 7 February. By 15 February, the vessel’s crew observed the ships depicted in the videos and photographs fishing on the Angolan side of the maritime border.
“As such, these vessels were at no time recorded as being in Namibian waters or fishing within such waters illegally,” Haiphene affirmed.
She emphasised that the ministry remains on high alert as illegal fishing continues to be a serious concern. Haiphene noted that some vessels deliberately obscure their call signs or disable their vessel monitoring systems (VMS) to evade detection.
“The ministry continues to engage our counterpart ministry in Angola to discuss this issue and strengthen our bilateral collaboration to improve monitoring, control, and surveillance activities,” she added.
Persistent concerns over illegal fishing
Social media reports have amplified long-standing concerns about foreign vessels poaching Namibian fish near the border with Angola. Conservationists warn that continued illegal fishing could lead to the collapse of crucial marine populations such as green turtles and large kabeljou.
The issue of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in northern Namibia is not new. In recent years, Namibian authorities have repeatedly raised alarms over foreign vessels encroaching into Namibian waters at night to steal significant quantities of fish, particularly horse mackerel. This led to substantial losses for the local fishing industry. The government responded by intensifying both sea and air patrols and working closely with regional partners to tackle the problem.
In his 2024 annual address to the fishing industry, fisheries minister Derek Klazen reported an increase in IUU incidents along the northern border. This prompted the ministry to allocate half of its monitoring and surveillance operations to the region.
“The ministry will continue to strengthen its management and control measures to curb and eliminate IUU fishing through collaboration with the fishing industry and our neighbouring states,” Klazen reiterated, echoing the assurances of Haiphene as well as former fisheries ministers and executive directors.
Ongoing efforts to combat IUU fishing
Klazen shared data indicating that in 2023/2024 alone, the ministry had conducted nine sea patrol missions and 688 coastal patrols. Despite these efforts, illegal fishing remains a persistent threat to Namibia’s marine resources. The ministry’s commitment to enhanced surveillance and regional cooperation reflects its determination to safeguard these resources against the ongoing threat of IUU fishing.
In a statement released on Monday, the executive director of the ministry, Annely Haiphene, acknowledged the reports with “grave concern and interest.” The ministry analysed the shared content to verify if the vessels were indeed fishing illegally.
“The ministry has established that [one of the vessels] was indeed in Namibian waters on passage back to Angola from Walvis Bay harbour and was at no time involved in fishing activities during this journey. The snapshot image for this vessel is available, depicting its movement during the period,” Haiphene clarified.
She also stated that the other vessels seen in the online footage were actually within Angolan waters.
Heightened surveillance near the border
Haiphene addressed the “unusual” clustering of fishing vessels near the border, which led to the deployment of the ministry’s flagship patrol vessel, Anna Kakurukaze, for extended monitoring since 7 February. By 15 February, the vessel’s crew observed the ships depicted in the videos and photographs fishing on the Angolan side of the maritime border.
“As such, these vessels were at no time recorded as being in Namibian waters or fishing within such waters illegally,” Haiphene affirmed.
She emphasised that the ministry remains on high alert as illegal fishing continues to be a serious concern. Haiphene noted that some vessels deliberately obscure their call signs or disable their vessel monitoring systems (VMS) to evade detection.
“The ministry continues to engage our counterpart ministry in Angola to discuss this issue and strengthen our bilateral collaboration to improve monitoring, control, and surveillance activities,” she added.
Persistent concerns over illegal fishing
Social media reports have amplified long-standing concerns about foreign vessels poaching Namibian fish near the border with Angola. Conservationists warn that continued illegal fishing could lead to the collapse of crucial marine populations such as green turtles and large kabeljou.
The issue of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in northern Namibia is not new. In recent years, Namibian authorities have repeatedly raised alarms over foreign vessels encroaching into Namibian waters at night to steal significant quantities of fish, particularly horse mackerel. This led to substantial losses for the local fishing industry. The government responded by intensifying both sea and air patrols and working closely with regional partners to tackle the problem.
In his 2024 annual address to the fishing industry, fisheries minister Derek Klazen reported an increase in IUU incidents along the northern border. This prompted the ministry to allocate half of its monitoring and surveillance operations to the region.
“The ministry will continue to strengthen its management and control measures to curb and eliminate IUU fishing through collaboration with the fishing industry and our neighbouring states,” Klazen reiterated, echoing the assurances of Haiphene as well as former fisheries ministers and executive directors.
Ongoing efforts to combat IUU fishing
Klazen shared data indicating that in 2023/2024 alone, the ministry had conducted nine sea patrol missions and 688 coastal patrols. Despite these efforts, illegal fishing remains a persistent threat to Namibia’s marine resources. The ministry’s commitment to enhanced surveillance and regional cooperation reflects its determination to safeguard these resources against the ongoing threat of IUU fishing.
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