Fishing blues for anglers

Recreational and commercial anglers at the coast are facing serious hurdles after a sudden announcement by the fisheries ministry of steep price hikes of up to 10 000% for permits and levies on landed fish.Many say that the impact of the price hikes could be far-reaching, forcing some fishing companies to relocate and crushing tourism at the coast. For recreational fishing, including sports angling, the ministry has implemented a more than 10 000% price hike. The monthly angling permit now costs N$1 500 instead of N$14. A concerned Namibian who declined to be named, but who has reached out to the ministry for clarification on the issue, said the sharp price hikes could likely “kill all recreational fishing on our coast and severely impact on coastal tourism, both domestic and international. It also discriminates against all but the wealthiest people in Namibia.”Amateur anglers have expressed concern about how the new fees will affect popular angling competitions at the coast and a letter asking anglers to “keep a cool and calm head in this darkest hour of our fishing industry” told members of the Namibian Rock and Surf Angling Association (NRSAA) that all avenues are being pursued to resolve the issue and settle the fears of the sector.In addition to the levy, anglers will also have to pay levies per kilogramme of fish landed, depending on the type of fish. All landed fish must be inspected and certified by a ministry official. Critics of the new levies and regulations argue that the additional bureaucracy of getting all caught fish certified by someone appointed by the ministry, plus the monthly fees and the additional landing fees, could effectively” destroy recreational fishing at the coast. More bad news Small and medium commercial fishing operations will also be hit hard if the new levies per ton of fish landed and levies on quotas remain in place. According to sources some fishing companies “are already struggling to make ends meet … and now have to pay a massive levy increase and that, together with other fees” could force these companies to relocate, or take other measures, affecting local economies.A source in the fishing industry told Namibian Sun this week that the latest government levies will cripple the horse mackerel industry, which faces increases between 500% and 2 900% for levies per ton of fish landed and levies on quotas. The source said the fees are “simply unaffordable” and the industry is discussing the way forward. The ministry this week confirmed that subsistence fishermen would not be affected by the new levies. Ministry spokesperson De Wet Siluka yesterday said: “Government has taken into consideration those who are not able to afford … and we are going to register them for that matter. In the past anyone could claim to be subsistence fishermen but we have considered registering them so that they can be differentiated from those fishing for recreational purposes.” Siluka added that the process of adjusting the levies was undertaken in terms of section 44(3) of the Marine Resources Act in consultation with the Marine Resources Advisory Council and the approval of the minister of finance for the benefit of the Marine Resources Fund. The fund is used to defray expenses for research, development, training and education relating to marine resources. Cancel the fishing trip Many people have bombarded the ministry with requests for clarification and possible amendments to the fees. They asked why the public and members of the fishing industry, professional and amateur, were not consulted or involved in the process. The increase in fishing permits will affect businesses at the coast, such as shops selling fishing tackle and tourism hot-spots, including Terrace Bay and Torra Bay, popular angling spots run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR). “NWR has taken note of the latest developments. It is for this that we look forward to engaging with the ministry to see if an amicable solution can be found,” Mufaro Nesongano, spokesperson for NWR, told Namibian Sun yesterday. Many have suggested that instead of imposing a single option of a N$1 500 monthly fee, the ministry should consider introducing daily permits or at least reducing the high monthly fee and the extra costs for landed fish. For every fish that is caught, an amount of N$30 per kilogramme for steenbras, kob and blacktail, and N$45 per kilogramme for galjoen, must be paid to the ministry seven days before the end of the month in which the fish was landed. Ministry spokesperson Siluka said the new regulations would help “strengthen our coastal patrol, in a way that we will be able to cover the S&T as well as overtime cost to our inspectors”, insisting that the ministry was equipped to ensure that enough officers were at hand to ensure compliance with the new rules. Siluka yesterday added that while there has been much protest around the new fees, the previous N$14 monthly permit translated to “46 cent a day for a person catching a minimum of ten galjoen or kabeljou, which was way too little compared to neighbouring South Africa.” He said the N $1 500 levy translates to N$50 per day.

Fishing blues for anglers

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-22

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Fishing blues for anglers

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-22

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