President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has cautioned that Namibia cannot bargain with nature because the future of the country's fishing industry must be decided by science, not politics.

She sent out the warning amid intensifying concerns over declining fish stocks.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was speaking at the first National Fisheries Indaba in Walvis Bay, which she initiated in April to transform the fisheries sector.

The President stated that when it comes to the country's marine resources, science must lead the way.

She stressed that the country cannot afford to compromise scientific findings simply to accommodate competing interests in the fishing industry.

“We could not negotiate with it. And that is exactly what it is when it comes to the fishery. Therefore, as the minister mentioned, we really need to consider whether we are diluting science. If government scientists and industry scientists read the same books and went to the same schools, but give different answers, what type of natural science is this? There must be, somewhere, a mix of natural science and social science. Perhaps the interests are too commercialised, and we are not thinking about the future.”

Dr Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia must therefore resist pressure to manipulate scientific findings for short-term interests, particularly as the fishing industry faces declining stocks and uncertainty over its future.

She noted that the industry is no longer safe and may not continue supporting as many people as it has in the past.

“This is not the time for politics at the level at which our fishing industry currently finds itself. This is the time for science to speak. This is the time for science to guide us. And this is the time for us to act accordingly, based on the outcomes of that science. I want us to work with one heart and one mind and to put the long-term national interest first, rather than our immediate needs. Our natural wealth can truly assist our people. And I can tell you that if we all agree to manage it without any manipulation from any corner of the industry, this industry can deliver shared and balanced prosperity for all of us. Our fish, our future—let us shape it together.”

The National Fisheries Indaba will conclude on Saturday, with reforms expected to transform the industry.