Kawana rubbishes claims fisheries workers are exploited
MINISTER of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Albert Kawana, has rubbished claims by the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement that the ministry is on the brink of collapse and exploiting workers.
Kawana was responding to a letter written to him by AR’s Erongo regional desk led by Knowledge Ipinge on various issues in the ministry of fisheries and the fishing industry at large.
He alleged that the ministry under Kawana’s guidance is “dysfunctional, at the forefront of collapsing and looting the fishing industry by weakening its monitoring, controlling and surveillance mandate” in addition to exploiting employees.
“It can never be correct that over 300 marine fisheries inspectors and observers responsible for monitoring major commercial fish stocks at sea or being landed at our ports are working in unsafe conditions and are not provided with adequate personal protective clothing in line with section 39 of the Labour Act,” said Ipinge.
He added that it is t unacceptable that patrols at sea have been reduced by over 70% due to budget cuts within the ministry, allegedly leading to an increase in violations by illegal foreign trawlers in Namibian waters.
Ipinge demanded an urgent meeting with Kawana within 14 days in the presence of marine fisheries inspectors, observers and relevant employees of the ministry in Erongo. When contacted for comment yesterday, Kawana said employee exploitation was one of the first issues he addressed when he took over the ministry and the issue was resolved.
“This thing of employees of the ministry being exploited is utter nonsense, how do I exploit people if there is already a government pay structure in the ministry that I found there? But if they are referring to overtime payment, I addressed it with employees in Walvis and I also went to Lüderitz,” said Kawana.
The minister further said some of the fishing patrolling vessels are old and have to be replaced, while some require spare parts and mechanics who have to come from Europe.
“Patrolling is however not affected because currently there is a Namibian patrolling vessel between Namibia and Angola,” he said.
-Nampa