The legality of fishing quotas allocated in Namibia have come into question once again, as 50 of the 100 companies with extended quotas may not have been eligible for their extensions, reported the Namibian.
The extension was made by Acting Fisheries Minister Albert Kawana, who took over after Fisheries Minister Berhnhard Esau resigned because of his role in the Samherji cash-for-quotas scandal.
Esau was overseeing a process for the allocation of fishing rights.
The quotas under question are worth a total of NAD 2.5 billion (€149 million/$163 million), according to the publication.
Roughly 5,000 entities applied in 2018 to be considered for fishing rights, however the process could not be finalized, "forcing" the administration to extend rights of former beneficiaries, according to the newspaper.
However, sources pointed out to the publication, some of those entities should not have been eligible, as the "extension" happened after the quotas had also expired, and not while they were still in place.
Kawana has denied any wrongdoing. Last month he said the renewal was valid under the country's Marine Resources Act.
