Namibia’s fish exports face torrid times

ALAN PEAT IT’S BEEN a torrid cycle for Namibia’s perishable industry, as its fish exports battle to keep market share, according to Mike Spencer, manager of SAFE Namibia, a specialist ships agency also handling shipowners’ cargoes and fish exports. “The Spanish and other southern European markets are currently seemingly flooded with fish,” he told FTW, “with prices apparently well below anticipated levels.” One factor in this is a changing dietary habit in this main destination market, Spencer has been told. The traditional hake-eating family basis is no more, according to sources, with the young generation in Spain adopting international food-eating habits. “Also, while the tons are coming in, the size of the fish is much smaller than previously, and so it’s not so easy to sell.” The industry is presently looking at other possible markets round the world – like the US, Australia and the Far East. “Anywhere they can get better prices,” said Spencer. The strengthening of the rand – with the Namibian dollar directly linked – has done the perishable industry no favours either. “Everybody is squeezing revenues out of nothing much at all,” said Spencer, “and we must share these margin cuts with them.” SAFE Namibia provides husbandry for both local and foreign fishing trawlers in port and at sea covering an entire range of services from crew changes to repairs and provisions. It also has a logistics arm in the form of SAFE Forwarding and Aircargo, which prepares and processes export documents for both breakbulk and containerised shipments, as well as customs clearances and procedures for fishing concessionaires – handling machinery, spares and provisions required for fishing fleets and factory maintenance.