A 55-year-old man has been arrested for illegal fishing in a sewerage pan located behind the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) base in Oshakati, the Namibian Police in the Oshana Region have confirmed.
According to Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, the arrest was made on Monday during a targeted operation carried out by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, in collaboration with regional police officers. The operation focused on cracking down on unlawful fishing practices in the area.
“The suspect was apprehended and charged under the Inland Fisheries Resources Act No. 1 of 2003,” Sakaria said. The identity of the suspect has not been released.
In the same operation, two other individuals were issued fines for separate infractions of the fisheries regulations. A 41-year-old man was fined for using a fishing net that failed to meet the legal mesh size standards, while a 39-year-old woman was penalised for engaging in drag netting, a method prohibited under Namibian fishing laws.
Commissioner Sakaria cautioned the public against fishing in restricted or unsafe areas such as sewerage pans, and urged residents to comply with all regulations to help protect local water resources and ecosystems.
