Niël Terblanché
The intended termination of all 430 staff of Etosha Fishing, which was set to become effective on 31 July 2023 has been retracted.
The acting Managing Director of the Walvis Bay fishing company, Volker Paulsmeier also announced that Etosha Fishing has received a quota allocation of 5 000 tonnes of horse mackerel
According to Paulsmeier, the allocation was approved by Cabinet, through the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources as Governmental Objective to sustain the cannery and preserve employment at the company.
He said that operations at the cannery will however not commence with immediate effect as the company is in the process of sourcing catch capacity to land the quota, however, is confident that it will be able to do so within the 2023 fishing season. All workers will be kept abreast of developments at the company.
Etosha Fishing cautions that the allocation of the 5 000 tonnes relief quota is only a short-term relief measure and will not be able to sustain operations in the long term. The initial request to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources was for a 10,000 tonnes horse mackerel relief quota. The company will, however, initiate a turnaround strategy aimed at securing the long-term sustainability of Namibia’s sole operational cannery.
“We are extremely grateful to the Government and the Ministry of Fisheries for this lifeline. It prevents the cannery from shutting its doors for good. The relief quota buys us a little more time to refine and put in place our turnaround strategy to ensure extended employment terms for our workers as part of our long-term sustainability strategy,” says Volker Paulsmeier, Acting Managing Director of Etosha Fishing. He emphasizes that diversification is pivotal to the future success of the company. “These plans however need time and investments for implementation,” he explains.
Since introducing the pilchard moratorium in 2017, which remains in place, Etosha Fishing has pursued all possible avenues to sustain employment and operations, including importing frozen pilchards for local canning. Due to a volatile exchange rate and the high cost of importing raw materials, this is no longer a viable solution to sustain operations, hence the company-initiated termination of employment procedures earlier this year. The last couple of years have arguably been the most difficult in the company’s history, with consecutive losses recorded annually.
Paulsmeier extended his appreciation to, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Derek Klazen for his willingness to continuously engage with Etosha Fishing. He also conveyed his gratitude to the Etosha Fishing shareholders, specifically the Board of Directors, for their continuous support in navigating the challenges, and thanked them for their support in future endeavours.
On behalf of Etosha Fishing, Paulsmeier thanked the Namibia Seamen and Allied Workers Union (NASAWU) for constructive engagements throughout the past months.
Paulsmeier also expressed his appreciation towards the company’s employees for their patience and resilience amid trying times.
“Our workforce is at the centre of all of the company’s efforts to remain operational,” he said.
Established in 1940, Etosha Fishing is one of the oldest local fishing industry operators and the only remaining operational cannery in Walvis Bay.
Over the years Etosha Fishing has entrenched its position as a world-class cannery and a true asset to the Namibian fishing sector and the local manufacturing and food industry.
