Namibia has been highlighted as a model by the United Nations (UN) Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) for developing countries seeking to create a sustainable fishing and fish processing sector.
Since independence in 1990, the country has strictly managed stocks, widely using of inspectors on ships and has promoted onshore Namibian-owned processing. As a result, said the FAO, 14,000 new jobs have been created and US$354m in annual export earnings have been generated (in 2000).
The south-west African country has employed a special FAO fisheries advisor since independence, and followed a white paper plan addressing stock management; job and business-ownership preference for Namibians; modern monitoring and surveillance; research and marketing.