Namibian Minister Zaamwani Warns Fishing Industry Against Corruption

• Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani has warned players in the fishing industry against attempting to influence ministry officials for personal gain.
• The minister emphasized that both government and the private sector have a responsibility to prevent corruption in the allocation of fishing rights and quotas.
• Advocate Erna van der Merwe highlighted the risks of corruption in Namibia's fishing sector, including bribery, trading in influence, and abuse of functions.
• Zaamwani stressed the importance of integrity, fairness, transparency, accountability, and public interest in allocating fishing rights and quotas.
• The minister warned that officials must be aware of their vulnerabilities to corruption and take steps to mitigate them.

The players in the sector must also know it is not right that they try to influence decisions in their favour,

Inge Zaamwani, Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform, has issued a stern warning to players in the fishing industry against attempting to influence ministry officials for personal gain. This warning comes as part of a five-day Corruption Vulnerability Risk Assessment Workshop held in Walvis Bay. The minister emphasized that both government and the private sector have a responsibility to prevent corruption in the allocation of fishing rights and quotas. Zaamwani stressed that these decisions must be guided by integrity, fairness, transparency, accountability, and public interest. She also highlighted the importance of officials being aware of their vulnerabilities to corruption and taking steps to mitigate them.

According to Advocate Erna van der Merwe, ACC deputy director, the fisheries sector is particularly vulnerable to corruption due to its cross-border nature. The sector involves multiple jurisdictions, public and private actors, and significant administrative discretion in areas such as licensing and quota allocation. This creates opportunities for corruption across the value chain, including bribery, trading in influence, legislative capture, and abuse of functions. Van der Merwe also pointed out that fishing operations can expose the sector to further risks, such as bribery of inspectors, observers, conflicts of interest, and leaking of confidential patrol information.

Zaamwani's warning is significant because it highlights the importance of integrity in the allocation of fishing rights and quotas. The minister emphasized that officials must exercise judgment while ensuring their decisions remain legally defensible. This may impact lawyers and compliance officers' strategies for navigating the fisheries sector's complex regulatory landscape. Zaamwani also stressed that corruption can undermine transparency, distort fair competition, reduce investor confidence, result in the loss of state revenue, and erode public confidence in institutions.

Lawyers and compliance officers should note that the Namibian Fisheries Minister has emphasized the importance of integrity, fairness, transparency, accountability, and public interest in allocating fishing rights and quotas. This may impact their clients' strategies for navigating the fisheries sector's complex regulatory landscape.

Source: Original reporting via AllAfrica Namibia