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namib times SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6842 FRIDAY 12 APRIL 2019 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
Etosha Fishing sells its vessels
Moratorium on local pilchard catches and less pilchard catches in Angola take a heavy toll
The moratorium on pilchard catches in Namibian water and equally weak pilchard catches in Angolan waters have left Etosha Fishing Corporation, one of the oldest pelagic fishing operators in Namibia, no alternative than to sell its three purse seiner vessels and subsequent loss of nineteen job opportunities on the vessels affected by the decision.
In a statement on Wednesday Etosha Fishing confirmed selling its purse seiner vessels Advance, Morgenster and Prowess, bringing to an end a pilchard fishing tradition in Walvis Bay that stretched many decades. The job losses comes at a time retrenchments have hit both the coastal and national economy very hard. A full statement issued reads as follows: “Poor catches in foreign waters have forced Etosha Fishing Corporation to sell all three of its purse seine vessels resulting in the retrenchment of 19 employees. The three-year ban on local pilchard catches imposed in 2018 has left the company with no other choice but to deploy its purse seine vessels to neighbouring Angola and other foreign fishing grounds in an effort to sustain jobs and the running costs of these vessels. “Low catch rates have compounded the
financial burden of operating our vessels in foreign waters, which has left the company with no other choice but to sell all our purse seine vessels. This means that we are no longer in a position to provide employment to the crew of these vessels,” Nezette Beukes, Acting MD of Etosha Fishing explains. She adds that some of the employees affected are net workers. The three vessels are the Prowess, Advance and Morgenster. According to her negotiations with the recognised union, the Namibian Seamen and Allied Workers Union (NASAWU), officially started in January this year. Formal notification was also issued to the Office of the Labour Commissioner. “Affected staff members were initially informed of possible retrenchments as early as December 2018. We wanted to make sure that our employees are well informed from the start of the process to avoid any uncertainty and to ensure transpa-
rency throughout the process”. “As a union we oppose any job losses, but Etosha is caught in a very difficult position. If they cannot catch, they cannot provide work,” says NASAWU Vice President Epson Kavekuire who conducted the negotiations on behalf of the retrenched staff. He expressed his satisfaction with the manner in which the process was concluded. Etosha Fishing still operates one vessel, the Iona, which was converted to a refrigerated seawater vessel (RSW) at a substantial cost in 2018 to be able to fish in local waters, landing horse mackerel fresh for processing at its cannery in Walvis Bay. Etosha Fishing operates the oldest cannery in Namibia and currently employs 44 permanents and close to 550 seasonal staff at its cannery. The mainstay of its business over the years has been the canning of pilchards for leading brands such as Lucky Star and Glenryck SA.”
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Two people sustained injuries in an accident at the entrance to Langstrand (”old entrance”) on the B2 coastal road early yesterday. Three of the vehicles involved were occupied by tourists. Video footage of the accident shows a vehicle coming from the direction of Walvis Bay crashing into a vehicle that wanted to turn right to Langstrand. A third vehicle coming from the direction of Swakopmund was also hit by the oncoming vehicle in the process. Traffic authorities are examining close circuit television material of the crash to determine who was at fault. This particular intersection has been the stage for several deadly vehicle accidents in the past. (This was the second accident on the B2 coastal road this week, leading to traffic authorities renewing calls for motorists to drive safe).
Bisey /Uirab bids farewell this morning Namport bids farewell today to its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bisay /Uirab, who was at the helm of the port authority for a decade. A breakfast is held in his honour at a local hotel in Walvis Bay this morning. /Uirab has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Airports Company and takes up that role in Windhoek soon. Under his leadership stretching over two terms, the port of Walvis Bay consolidated its future role as import- and export hub in the Southern African trade set-up through the development of several transport corridors stretching to all of Namibia's four neighbouring states. Also massive investment into port infrastructure, both at the port of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz as well as mega-projects such as the current construction of a container terminal on reclaimed land (port of Walvis Bay) and plans for a deep water port at Lüderitz.
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