Fishing Industry’s foundation vested in pilchard fishery

There could possibly only be a few Walvis Bay residents with no ties to Walvis Bay’s pilchard industry of yesteryear. Can you still recall these names and can you still recall the names of these managers?

A list of factories established in Walvis Bay between 1950 and 1968 (with their managers). This period is seen as the period in which a formal fishery was established at Walvis Bay. It laid the foundations for today’s Namibian fishing industry at Walvis Bay (Source: The History of the Port and Settlement of Walvis Bay 1878 to 1978 (Wilken & Fox). Also an extraction from Namib Times)

1950: West Coast Fishing Ind. Ltd. (1978 known as Swaprom (Pty) Ltd. Producer of fish meal and fish body oil. In 1952 it started with canned pilchard production and the first manager was Mr. F.W.K.P. Albrecht.
Tuna Corporation of Africa Ltd. (1978 known as Tunacor Ltd. Producer of fish meal and fish body oil. Also started canned pilchard production in 1952. First manager was Mr. H.J. Stephan.

1952: Mulderene Fish Oil Products Co. Ltd. (by 1978 known as Oceana Fishing Company (Pty) Ltd. Producer of fish meal and fish body oil. In 1953 started with canned pilchard production. First manager Mr. H.P. Williams.

1953: New Western Fishing Industries of South West Africa (Pty) Ltd. Producer of canned pilchards, fish meal and fish body oil. In 1959 it became the first factory in the Republic and South West Africa which undertook the canning of smoked sardines in oil. First manager Mr. W.A. Bester.
Northern Fishing Industries of South West Africa (Pty) Ltd. Producer of white fish. First Manager Mr. A. Jason.

1954: Namib Visserye Bpk. Fish meal and fish body oil producer. In 1960 the company started with canned pilchard production. The first manager Mr. H.J. Stephan.

1963: Kuiseb Visprodukte Bpk. Producer of fish meal, fish body oil and white fish. First manager Mr. W. Brand.

1964: Suid Kunene Visserye Bpk. Producer of fish meal and fish body oil. First manager Mr. F.W. Conradie.

1968: Consortium Visserye Bpk. Producer of fish meal, fish body oil and white fish. First manager Mr. I. Kotze.