N$3
SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO6379 FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 2014 Tel +264 64 205 854/+264 64 461 866/Fax +264 64 204 813/+264 64 461 824/Website www.namibtimes.net
Export Standards for horse No sewage inside
mackerel
into the sea
Staff Reporter
Horse mackerel exporting companies have expressed concerns over the introduction of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards by the Namibian Standards Institution (NSI) amid fears of revenue losses due to certification processes. On Thursday the NSI held a stakeholders meeting for all local industry members directly involved in the Mozambican fish and fishery product exports market. Major industry players such as Gendev, Namsov, United Fishing, Erongo Marine and Atlantic Pacific Fishing to name a few, sat at the table which quickly turned into a heated debate as local businesses raised their concerns over the implementation measures that the NSI will take to ensure that horse mackerel products adhere to the international
food safety standard. Major concerns were raised as to how the testing, regulations and certification procedure would be implemented by the NSI. “The fishing industry never sleeps,” one of the stakeholders exclaimed. “Horse mackerel gets packed into loading trucks/shipping vessels as soon as it gets harvested from the sea. We lose up to N$1.2 million per day on a vessel that is not travelling through its required shipping route,” the stakeholder continued. The fishing companies argued that
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WACS repairs start
Mr Riundja Kaakunga (CEO NSI) and Mrs Cecilia Hinda (GM RCP) having to wait a few days to receive certification and results from the NSI could cripple the industry. No horse mackerel production company can recoup the cost of transport vessels waiting days for certification, they justified. Not only the products manufactured for export but also the trawling vessels would need to adhere to the HACCP
standard. The food safety standard is already being implemented in the hake exports market, however, the production processes of horse mackerel is different to that of the hake production market, stakeholders explained. “The model for hake cannot be copied and pasted into the horse mackerel industry,” a representative said. Just on sheer volume horse
mackerel production is more than double that of the hake processing in Walvis Bay. Horse mackerel exports are, by nature, volume driven as it is the staple protein food source for many African countries. It is also sold for as low a price as possible to supply this market with low-cost protein rich food. Any regulations that can increase the cost of
production could have a price hiking effect on the product. “Namibian food products should adhere to international standards,” Riundja Kaakunga, the CEO of NSI said. The regulatory body aimed to provide a better understanding of the standards and come to terms with how it could be implemented in the horse mackerel production industry.
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Onderwyser in spervuur oor antwoordstel
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Riding for charity
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Inspired by nature
Marshallino Beukes
‘n Onderwyser van Atlantic Hoërskool in Swakopmund is verlede Vrydag gearresteer, nadat hy blykbaar die memorandum van ‘n eksamen vraestel aan ‘n leerling by die skool beskikbaar gestel het. Mnr Michael Cloete en die 17-jarige leerling is albei aangekla vir diefstal van ‘n memorandum. Volgens die polisiewoordvoerder het die prinsipale van die spesifieke skool, me E Ipinge, later die dag by die Mondesa polisiestasie, waar hy aangekla was, opgedaag om
die saak terug te trek. Sy is blykbaar ingelig dat hy alreeds formeel aangekla is en dat hy Maandag, hierdie week, voor die Magistraatshof moes verskyn. ‘n Verteenwoordiger van die Ministerie van Onderwys in Swakopmund het Maandagoggend die klag teen die
onderwyser teruggetrek en aangevoer dat die saak intern hanteer gaan word. Volgens die polisiewoordvoerder het die onderwyser, wie se memorandum aan die leerling oorhandig was, lont geruik, nadat die seun 100% in die spesifieke saak behaal het.
Dit wil voorkom asof dit nie die leerder se normale standaard is nie. Die Mondesa polisie is gekontak en by nadere ondersoek is mnr Cloete gearresteer. Die Direkteur van Onderwys (Erongo), mnr John Awaseb het gisternamiddag die voorval bevestig. Hy het genoem
dat sy kantoor ‘n inspekteur gaan afvaardig om die saak in diepte by die skool te ondersoek en indien genoegsame bewyse teen Cloete gevind word, ‘n saak van wangedrag teen hom geopen gaan word. Mnr Awaseb het voorts genoem dat die ondersoek
volgende kwartaal, wanneer die skole heropen, ‘n aanvang gaan neem. Mnr Cloete is nie geskors nie, maar volgens mnr Awaseb mag hierdie stap volg, indien daar bevind word dat sy teenwoordigheid by die skool die ondersoek mag belemmer.
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Erongo riders
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