The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources, in its oversight visits to aquaculture projects of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, disclosed that fish production faces seasonal constraints due to the absence of greenhouse plastic covers, limiting the capacity for year-round fish production.

Hilaria Mukapuli presented the findings in the National Assembly, exposing fundamental hurdles that urgently require attention for the country to strengthen its position in aquaculture.

To address the nation's unstable food security situation and contribute to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the committee delved into various aspects of aquaculture projects, exploring regions like Kavango East, Kavango West, Omusati, Oshana, Omaheke, and ||Kharas.

Key objectives included understanding the ministry's operations, regulating aquaculture and fisheries activities, protecting aquatic resources, coordinating with other entities, and gaining a holistic view of aquaculture farm operations.

"Greenhouse plastic roofing is not durable enough to withstand strong winds, especially in the south. As a result, they are constantly blown off and break where they are in place. The shortage of feed is affecting all projects visited by the committee, mainly due to the inability of the Onavivi Fish Feed Plant to produce sufficient feed. The feed production plant is not operating at normal capacity due to consistent breakdowns and challenges in finding suitable technicians to maintain it. Poor-quality feed sourced from Zambia has an impact on production capacity."

Furthermore, the reliance on limited and expensive fish meal, mainly produced for export markets, posed an additional hurdle.

The report emphasises the need for strategic measures to overcome these challenges, outlining recommendations for improved infrastructure, sustainable feed production, and enhanced collaboration between stakeholders.