Namibia’s newest patrol vessel ‘successful’ in Angolan waters

NAMIBIA’S new fisheries patrol vessel took part in a groundbreaking mission to Angola recently, during which six vessels were arrested for serious infringements of SADC fisheries legislation.

The mission was carried out under the auspices of the SADC-EU Monitoring, Control & Surveillance Programme (MSC) together with Namibia and Angola’s fisheries ministries. According to Carlos Palin, Programme Manager of the SADC-EU MSC it was the first mission of its kind in the context of the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Fisheries.Following the success of the mission Palin told The Namibian yesterday “it was a shining example of bilateral co-operation”.He said more missions were planned for the future.The frequency would depend on Angola’s capacity development.The country does not have any high sea patrolling capacity currently.The 2 189 nautical mile voyage served as both a surveillance and training exercise, and was funded by the MSC programme.During the exercise the Namibian crew, two Namibia inspectors and six Angolan inspectors boarded 19 vessels.Six of them were arrested for serious infringements.These included fishing in protected areas, not carrying their licences and using gear not covered by their licences.One of the vessels came from Togo and the rest from Angola and China.The crew on one of the arrested vessels cut the trawl cables in an attempt to escape detention.Palin said all the cases would go to court and depending on the seriousness of the infringements, the vessels would either be impounded or fines would be issued.Namibia’s new N$100 million purpose-built fisheries patrol vessel, named after a Namibian heroine, the late Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda, was only launched by President Sam Nujoma on March 22 at Walvis Bay.The Ministry has two more patrol vessels.According to Carlos Palin, Programme Manager of the SADC-EU MSC it was the first mission of its kind in the context of the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Fisheries.Following the success of the mission Palin told The Namibian yesterday “it was a shining example of bilateral co-operation”.He said more missions were planned for the future.The frequency would depend on Angola’s capacity development.The country does not have any high sea patrolling capacity currently.The 2 189 nautical mile voyage served as both a surveillance and training exercise, and was funded by the MSC programme.During the exercise the Namibian crew, two Namibia inspectors and six Angolan inspectors boarded 19 vessels.Six of them were arrested for serious infringements.These included fishing in protected areas, not carrying their licences and using gear not covered by their licences.One of the vessels came from Togo and the rest from Angola and China.The crew on one of the arrested vessels cut the trawl cables in an attempt to escape detention.Palin said all the cases would go to court and depending on the seriousness of the infringements, the vessels would either be impounded or fines would be issued.Namibia’s new N$100 million purpose-built fisheries patrol vessel, named after a Namibian heroine, the late Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda, was only launched by President Sam Nujoma on March 22 at Walvis Bay.The Ministry has two more patrol vessels.