Walvis Bay Mayor Trevino Forbes says it is surprising that the municipality does not receive fishing quotas to help residents and develop the town.

Making the remarks at the annual Fishing Industry Address, Forbes stressed that Walvis Bay, the town where the resource comes from, does not directly benefit from fishing.

The Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) want young people at Walvis Bay to benefit from jobs through the Governmental Objective Fishing Quota.

The party mobilized jobless youth to petition the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

A group of young and unemployed joined the march organized by NEEF.

The demonstrators are demanding work in the fishing industry, saying they have the necessary skills to work in the sector.

A total of N$52.3 million was raised from the sale of 28,500 metric tons (MT) of horse mackerel under the Governmental Objective Fishing Quota.

The total was inclusive of N$11,000 raised from application fees for the total quota of 30,540 MT of horse mackerel bids held on March 31, 2023.

A media release issued by the Ministry of Finance on Thursday said the two ministries considered the horse mackerel auction a success, with a slight improvement in prices from the reserve price.