Walvis Bay Mayor Trevino Forbes says the municipality is willing to assist fishing companies that want to build houses for their workers.

Workers' unions in the fishing industry and the Erongo Governor have repeatedly called on fishing companies to build houses for their workers.

This call was re-iterated at the Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister's annual address at Walvis Bay.

Forbes revealed that it is cumbersome for the council to get the permission needed to create new townships as there is no land available at the harbor town.

He did, however, invite the private sector to approach the council with their land demands because Farm 37, on the outskirts of Walvis Bay, is being developed.

Two fishing companies applied for land last year to build over 1,500 houses, and discussions with the council are still ongoing.

In 2020, a group of four fishing companies were given 5 hectares of land to construct 330 houses for their workers.