The new long-term fishing rights, announced earlier this year, have been granted by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in Namibia.
The terms of the fishing rights were extended from four, seven and 10 years to seven, 10, 15 and 20 years.
This move by Fisheries Minister Abraham Iyambo was hailed as very positive by the fishing industry when they were announced in June.
Iyambo said the duration of the four-year fishing rights, in particular, proved to be insufficient for planning and significant investment.
Adjustment
The short term for the fishing rights also negatively affected newcomers who needed longer time to adjust.
The fourth category of 20 years was added to encourage employment creation in the fishing sector.
Stricter conditions will apply to this right, but any right holder that employs 5000 people or more on land and on a permanent basis will automatically qualify for this term.
Fisheries Permanent Secretary Nangula Mbako said no company had so far qualified for the 20-year fishing right.
Rights
All the current 89 fishing rights holders responded to an invitation by the Ministry to motivate why their four- and 10-year rights should be extended beyond next year and 2003.
Most satisfied the criteria/conditions for seven, 10 and 15 year term rights.
The rights were granted as follows:
* Hake: 18 companies were granted 15 year rights; one
company was granted ten years, one company seven years and one company is still pending.
* Monk and Sole: Five companies were granted 15 year rights
* Horse Mackerel: One company was granted a 15 year right and two companies ten years
* Red Crab: One company was granted a 15 year right
* Rock Lobster: 15 companies were granted 15 year rights
* Large pelagic: 11 companies were granted 15 year rights
*Guano: One company was granted a seven-year right
* Small Pelagic and Line fish will be announced at a later stage.
In 1994 the Ministry granted 10 year rights to 77 companies for hake, monk, horse mackerel, small pelagic, large pelagic, larger line fish vessels and ski boat, red crab and rock lobster.
These rights expire at the end of 2003.
The four-year term of fishing rights was granted in 1998 to 12 companies for rock lobster, line fish and guano.
Lobster
The lobster rights expire in May next year, while the line fish expires in December 2002 and the guano this year December.
Mbako said the Ministry would contact the concerned right holders to confirm the status of their rights.
The British Department for International Development (DFID) has earmarked £4.4m (about sh9.6b) to revitalise the fishing industry on lake George and Kyoga.
This was disclosed by the team leader of the Integrated Lake Management (ILM) project, James Scullion recently.
Scullion was speaking at Kahendero fishing village on Lake George shores in Kasese district, where he had led a delegation of ILM partners from its operational districts of Bushenyi, Kamwenge and Kasese to launch an information management system for monitoring fishcatches.
