Samherji drops another 100 fishermen

ANOTHER fishing vessel owned by the Icelandic company Samherji unexpectedly sailed from the Walvis Bay port last night, leaving a crew of more than 100 employees behind in the dark.

The vessel Geysir’s crew members were reportedly told that the ship would only return to Namibia once there is a fishing quota available for it.

The vessel took along 32 Namibian fishermen.

One of the fisherman left behind told The Namibian they were informed of the planned departure of the vessel only at 10h00 yesterday (Sunday).

"We were informed to offload our belongings and that the vessel is going to Mauritania but it will return. They didn’t however inform us how long the vessel is going to be away," said the fisherman.

The grounded crew has not been furnished with any official documentation.

"The crew that went along with the vessel was told to go get their belongings and not speak to us about the planned departure.

"We were still offloading the last stock yesterday when we got the news. We held an emergency meeting with the vessel manager, who told us that the vessel is coming back. For how long, we dont know. But if you look at the expected time of arrival for the vessel in Mauritania it says September 2020," said Theophelus Hamutenya, a foreman on the vessel. 

Fishermen from two vessels owned by Samherji, the Saga and the Geysir, have gathered at the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union office at Walvis Bay to wait for a planned meeting with the company. No time was set for the meeting.

Late last year Samherji announced it was withdrawing from Namibia following the Fishrot exposé of alleged corruption and bribery with the provision of fishing quotas to the company. The Namibian is establishing whether the unexpected departures of the two vessels is part of this move.

Anti-Corruption Commission director general Paulus Noa said efforts are under way to have the Saga, which left Namibia last week for the Spanish island of Las Palmas, returned. 

"We strongly advise that no vessel linked to this case must be permitted to leave Namibian ports without the ACC or Namibian Police being notified. More arrests shall soon follow."

The last of three Samherji- linked vessels, the Heinaste, was impounded last year after it was caught fishing in restricted waters.