The plant is based in Walvis Bay and cost a total of USD 4.1 million. (Photo: SeaWorks Processors/FIS)

New hake processing plant open

Hake-processing plant Omankete Seafood Processors has begun operating. The wholly Namibian-owned company consists of nine fishing entities and the opening of the NAD 30 million (USD 4.1 million) plant at Walvis Bay is the result of a joint venture with Seawork Fish Processors.

"This is a historic event as it signals a tangible effort of Omankete to assist in the Namibian Government's policies to eradicate poverty and create job opportunities. With the opening of this factory we have created 1,026 new jobs, of which 70 per cent are women," noted Director of Omankete Investments Mwetulamba Shingenge.

Seawork CEO Oscar Shigwana said the firm is not entering the fisheries industry with colossal financial means in its hands. That market is largely exclusive to firms based overseas.

Omankete Seafood is a hake allocated rights holder but with no infrastructure of its own, it had to function in conjunction with its better established partners for assistance to harvest fish with their boats and handle the fish in their facilities.

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Omankete during the initial stage had to depend on the infrastructure of Seawork Fish Processors to process and catch its fish, reports New Era.

Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Bernhard Esau offered his congratulations to the partners for the initiative, which will give work to more than 800 workers throughout the year.

“At inception, it was tough getting into the industry, we had to negotiate with potential partners to work out an equal beneficial partnership,” Shigwana commented. 

Esau encouraged the company to take on additional innovations in order to create even more job opportunities. Moreover, he cautioned that the firm should not turn from a wet fish operator into freezer fish operator because that could endanger jobs.

Hake landings and processing. (Photo: Seawork)

But Peter Bahl, director of Seawork - a business partner of Omankete –, assured him that most of their products would be processed using manual labour.

Omankete has a 5,000 tonne hake allocation and comprises a value addition to the business of hake exports to Europe.

The word Omankete comes from Omusati Regional Development Association, a body of the regional council, Maria Fishing Company, Tsumkwe Gam Fishing, Kunene Aquaculture Enterprises, Etaka Fishing Corporation, Ekango Fishing and Tweya Fishing Enterprises.

The Seawork Fish Processors (Pty) Ltd is a fishing and processing company based in Walvis Bay that focuses on catching, value adding and marketing fresh and frozen seafood products. 

By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Address:	Ben Amathila Avenue 58
City:	Walvis Bay
Country:	Namibia
Phone:	+264 64 212 603
Fax:	+264 64 212 601
E-Mail:	[email protected]
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