Hands off our white mussels

Floris Steenkamp

Only hours after the Namib Times reported on Tuesday of Fermar Seafoods CC harvesting tons of white mussel on the beaches be-tween Pelican Point and Paaltjies (the local name for the border with Sandwich Harbour), the Ministry of Fisheries cancelled the business’ exploratory fishing right to harvest clams and white mussel.

He further explained he employs two teams of people to harvest the clams and he is renting a premises from a well-known fishing company in Walvis Bay where the clams are packed, frozen and exported to Asia. Namib Times obtained pictures taken in secret which shows thousands of white mussel offloaded and packed at Fermar’s premises every day for many months already.
Fernandez also explained to the newspaper the clam resources is adequate to start a fishery. He expressed confidence white mussel would become a quota specie. Fernandez also produced a letter in which the Permanent Secretary of fisheries, Dr. Moses Maurihungirire, granting Fermar Seafoods an exemption on the size of white mussel they can harvest.
The Minister of Fisheries seemingly is not sharing Fernandez’ white mussel dreams, as the exploratory license was summarily cancelled this week. Fernandez also confirmed that personally to Namib Times.