||Kharas Governor, Aletha Frederick has urged farmers in the region to consider integrated farming which involve agriculture and aquaculture.
Frederick who made these remarks as she officially launched the Neckartal Dam fisheries aquaculture research project at the dam on Wednesday, said: “I strongly encourage entrepreneurs and farmers wishing to establish agribusinesses to consider integrated farming activities, which involves agriculture and aquaculture which are both utilising land and water, thus making use of the same natural resources. There are already existing policy frameworks such as the Aquaculture Act and the Inland Fisheries Resources Act which can support entry into the sector.”
The newly completed dam should symbolise the region’s potential as a breadbasket in terms of agribusiness, food fish for nutrition security, lucerne for animal production among others, and it requires key stakeholders to collaborate and work together to realise the full potential of the abundant water resource, she said.
Frederick said a recent study by the fisheries ministry indicates that small-scale fisheries in the region support approximately 30 000 people directly, citing that the sector has the potential to generate a wide variety of benefits including nutrition and food security, income and employment creation at household levels.
“These benefits can directly translate to improved livelihoods, reduce poverty and contribute to the wellbeing of communities. Women and youth should be empowered to the catch process and market the fish. I expect the results of this fisheries and aquaculture research project to contribute to the attainment of the government’s national development plans and programmes,” she said.
She urged the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to provide training and build capacity for youth and women across the entire small-scale fisheries and aquaculture value chains, including providing post-harvest support, fish processing, drying and trade to create employment and increase income for that segment of the population.
Frederick noted that illegal fishing and overfishing are extremely high and are a threat to the benefits meant for the law-abiding citizens especially the most vulnerable groups of society.
“To stop illegal fishing, we need to increase the presence of fisheries law enforcement officers to guard our inland fisheries resources at our dams, rivers and all other water bodies,” she stressed.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
