A new era has dawned for small-scale fishermen and women in Namibia as the government launched the National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries last week.
The small-scale fisheries sector indirectly supports the livelihoods of over 280 000 Namibians, which is approximately 11% of the country’s total population.
The implementation of the National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries is expected to bring short- and long-term solutions to most of the challenges facing small-scale fisheries in the country.
The plan, whose groundwork started in 2020 and was developed against the framework of the Global Food and Agriculture Organisation Umbrella Programme, ‘Enhancing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and sustainable livelihoods’.
The programme supports the promotion, application and subsequent implementation of the small-scale fisheries guidelines, giving emphasis to empowering vulnerable and marginalised small-scale fisheries to engage in relevant processes that affect their livelihoods.