Former Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Bernhardt Esau has refuted claims that the fishing corruption scandal has resulted in an estimated 18 000 job losses in the fishing industry.

Esau maintained that the job losses were a result of the illegal strike the workers undertook.

At the height of the events surrounding the Fishrot scandal, fishermen who were employed by the Samherji-owned Saga Seafood, which operated from Walvis Bay, closed down.

These fishermen were subsequently robbed of their livelihood.