The Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources plans to spend more than 79 per cent of its N$257, 4 million budget on operational expenditure.
It intends to use N$53 million – or 20, 6 per cent – on capital projects.
In order to assess the sustainability of its horse mackerel, seal and pilchard population management, and to send officials to Finland to oversee the completion of a research vessel, close to N$50 million will be spent.
Approximately N$3,4 million will be used to help the ministry’s employees improve in finance, administration and “other relevant” areas.
The Fisheries Observer Agency (FOA) and the Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute (NAMFI) – two watchdog fisheries bodies – will take an N$11,2 million chunk out of their budget, Bernhard Esau, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, said in the National Assembly yesterday.
FOA and NAMFI fall under the ministry’s marine and inland monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) programme.
“The purpose of this programme is to ensure that fishing and fisheries-related activities within the Namibian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and inland water bodies comply with the country’s fisheries legislations.”
Among others, the MCS programme helped take action “against the foreign intruders who entered our country in July 2011 with an intention of disrupting seal harvesting at Cape Cross”.
In July last year, Paul Watson, founder of the environmental group Sea Shepherd, confirmed that they masterminded the secret filming of Namibia’s controversial seal culling at Cape Cross.
Watson then told The Namibian from Australia, that a filming team led by Steve Roest from the United Kingdom (UK) fled Namibia after the clandestine operation.
Apart from Roest, the team consisted of Lauren de Groot from the Netherlands, South Africans Rosie Kunneke, Dinielle Stockigt and Nicki Botha as well as an unnamed Namibian scout, Watson confirmed.
Initially, the crew consisted of ten people, the activist said. He admitted that they entered Namibia as tourists and hopped from one rental property to the next in an attempt to hide from the authorities.
For the promotion of marine and inland aquaculture, approximately N$59 million will be spent, Esau said.
The rest of its budget will go towards coordination and support services – including “HIV-AIDS related activities”, policy and economic advice and the verification of landings and collection of quota fees and fund levies – the main income to the State from the fishing industry.
2012 AllAfrica