Fisheries need N$290 million for new financial year

Minister of fisheries and Marine Resources, Derek Klazen said during the motivation of the ministry budget, his ministry seeks approval for the amount totaling N$ 290 510 000 to execute their duties as the custodian of the country's marineresourcesforthe2023/2024financialyear.

MinisterDerekKlazensaidN$270millionisearmarked for the operational budget while the remaining N$20 million will go toward developmental projects oftheministry

Klazen explained that the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources comprises of the Department of Technical Operations, Planning, Aquaculture, Administration and Resources Management and have six programmestoaddresssomeofthecountry'sdevelopmentalgoalsrelatedtomarineandaquaticresources. These programmes are survey and stock assessment, humanresourcesdevelopment,marineandinlandmonitoring,controlandsurveillance,promotionofaquaculture and inland fisheries, policy and economic adviceaswellascoordinationandsupportservices.

AccordingtoKlazentheSurveyandStockAssessment programme is essential for the sustainable management of Namibia's living marine resources since it is under this programme that surveys are conducted to provide data on marine fish stocks and guide in the setting of the TotalAllowable Catch (TAC) which in turn ensures long term sustainable harvesting of marineresources.

Klazensaid,“giventheimportanceofthisprogramme and the need to fulfil the above-mentioned responsibilitiesanallocationN$51981000forthe2023/2024 financialyearisrequestedforthesustainablemanagementofNamibia'slivingmarineresources.”

AccordingtoKlazentheministryneedsanamountof N$67 767 000 for the human resources development programme.“Thisistoprovideadministrativesupport services such as finance, human resources and procurementtosupporttheexecutionoftheassignedfunctionsandprogrammes.

In order to ensure the protection of our living aquatic resources the Ministry is mandatedto Marine and Inland Monitoring, Control and Surveillance functions.

The ministry needs N$85 million to carry out monitoring,controlandsurveillancefunctions.

“This programme focuses on curbing and deterring illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities within Namibia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ)aswellasontheinlandwaterbodies.Ourlaw enforcement officers; fisheries inspectors, carry out activitiessuchas;air,seaandriverpatrols,tomonitor whether fishing activities are carried out within the ambitofourlaws,”Klazenexplained.

According to the minister of fisheries an amount of N$44 196 000 is requested to carry out the activities underPromotionofAquacultureandInlandFisheries programme.“ThisamountincludesanamountofN$3 500000fortwocapitalprojects.Theactivitiesofthis programme includes but not limited to zonation of land, sea based aqua parks, water quality monitoring Phyto-sanitarytesting,researchtraining,advisoryand extension services, hatchery establishment and fingerling production and distribution to subsistence farmers.The purpose of this programme is to ensure the responsible and sustainable development of the aquaculture sector to achieve social economic benefitsforthepeoplelivingalongsidetheperennial riversandseasonalrainedpans,”Klazensaid.

AccordingtoKlazentheFishingIndustryisoneofthe biggest contributors toward the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) across our country “To carry outactivitiesunderthisprogrammeduringthe2023/ 2024 financial year, an amount of N$13 851 600) is requested.”

KlazenexplainedthatanamountofN$26795000is requested for Coordination and Support Services. “Thisprogrammeistoprovideadministrativesupport totheMinistry,particularlyinfinancialmanagement, optimal deployment of resources (human, financial, information technology and maintenance and logisticalmanagement)andICTsupportservices.

(Fltr): His ExcellencyAmbassador Randy Berry with MrAndrew Kanime, Chief Executive Officer of Namport SOURCE: Namport