A new fishing joint venture consisting of five new right holders has responded positively to government’s call to add value to Namibia’s export commodities.
Omualu is the newly wholly Namibian-owned fishing firm that has created 150 direct and indirect jobs.
The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernard Esau, applauded the initiative during his visit to the company’s factory in the northern industrial area last Thursday.
The five new right holders of the company that catches horse-mackerel are Aluhe Fishing, Omukwa Fishing, Mo-Be Fishing, Omdiva Fishing, and Queen Kaleinasho Fishing.
While briefing the minister with regard to the company’s operations, the vice-chairman of the company Sacky Kadhila Amoomo said the company has already acquired its own fishing vessel, christened Mf Green Sea, which is one of only a few Namibian-owned mid-water trawlers.
He explained that the company identified a suitably sized trawler corresponding to the size of its quota following careful consideration and based on a report compiled by a business expert.
The trawler costs N$25 million, which is payable in installments while the conversion of the vessel and fishing equipment cost an additional N$9 million, he told the minister. He added that the crew onboard the vessel is 95 percent Namibian.
So far we have invested in capacity building, employment creation, value addition and social responsibility. Two of the directors are directly involved in the management of the joint venture, while Blue Sea Fishing is responsible for the operations and management of the vessel, he said. All right holders are responsible for the marketing of the company and its products.
Amoomo said the joint venture has created 55 offshore jobs so far for Namibians and 25 additional onshore jobs in the factory, while several indirect jobs have also been created through the maintenance carried out on the vessel from time to time.
According to Amoomo, individual right holders are also engaging themselves in spin-off businesses such as transportation, cold storage, and fish shop outlets. The company also adds value to the country’s fish products by repacking horse-mackerel in one-kilogramme bags for retail purposes.
Recently the company received an order to package fish for the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust (NFCPT), as well as for Fysal Fresh in the north and is looking at further value addition projects.
Last year the company spent more than N$500 000 on social responsibility projects, especially in education and environmental hygiene and is currently assisting the San community in Okakarara to set up a garden project.
We paid more than N$3 million in income tax last year and are also fully compliant with the requirements of the fisheries ministry, Amoomo added.
At present the company is eyeing markets such as Chile and Nigeria, while its products are already in high demand in Ghana, Benin, Senegal, and South Africa.
Minister Esau said he was highly impressed with the achievements of the company and encouraged other companies in the fisheries sector to emulate the example.
New Era Publications © 2013