Fishcor wants N$27m Seaflower quotas revoked

…as pelagic factory marriage totally collapses

By Confidente Reporter

THE temporary board of National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor) has asked Fisheries and Marine Resource Minister, Albert Kawana to revoke up to 9 000 mt of horse mackerel quota that was given to Seaflower Pelagic Processing (SPP) to protect jobs, Confidente can exclusively reveal.

With 655 employees having been let go from the pelagic processing plant in the middle of the year, Confidente understands that government feels outdone by SPP who they believe has violated the job security of workers who they laid off after receiving a quota to preserve the same.

On the market and at an average of N 000 per tonne of fish, 9000mt would translate to N million.

Chairperson of temporary board of Fishcor, Mihe Gaomab II told Confidente this week that the temporary Fishcor board has written several letters to SPP regarding the 5000mt and 4000mt of quota that was dished out to save jobs and to-date they have not received a response which is reflective of the relationship arrangement between SPP and Fishcor.

“We stand by our position to exercise our fiduciary duty to safeguard the state interests of 40 percent in SPP and the ownership of the land on which the SPP facility is built and that we shall pursue means to ensure that Fishcor rights are protected and that we seek guidance from our respective ministers to ensure revocation of the quota and to safeguard the job security and livelihood of the employees at SPP,” Gaomab II said.