Eat more fish in Otjiwarongo

Announcing the national fish consumption promotion, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resoursces, Hon Bernard Esau said last week the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust (NFCPT) is delivering on its mandate to boost the consumption of fish.
This year’s fish consumption event pegged for 20 September in Otjiwarongo was launched by the minister at a breakfast event hosted by the trust for industry leaders in Walvis Bay.
“The Trust, and its incredible ability to deliver on its mandate ensures that the government is able to demonstrate its effectiveness in contributing to food security and also shows just how successful we have been in turning a predominantly meat eating nation into one that now demands a healthier and affordable alternative source of protein in their daily diet” said the minister.
He said that the ocean’s resources are not there for profitable gain alone, but are there to be consumed and enjoyed by all. In this regard, he praised the synergies between the Trust, the fishing industry and the government, which have proven to be invaluable in efforts to promote fish consumption locally. Chief Executive Officer of the trust, Charlene Hartung, said the aim of the National Fish Consumption Day is to promote general fish consumption, increase consumer education around fish, promote fish species, teach Namibians how to clean and prepare fish and to create awareness around the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust and the fishing industry as a whole.

NFCPT Chairperson, Katrina Sikeni, underlined the fact that the Namibian Fish Consumption Day is a platform open to everyone in the fishing industry and should be used by all players to reach out to the nation in order to make this resource available to citizens.
This year, Etosha Fishing contributed more than N$80,000 in sponsorships for the schools’ soccer tournament, which forms part of the activities leading up to the main Market Day event. “Our footprint has had to increase to comply with our mandate. To date, we have opened 13 shops throughout Namibia and I am pleased to report that Namibians are indeed consuming more fish with the demand for fish increasing daily,” Sikeni said.