Walvis bay: President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for the labour hire model in Namibia's fishing industry to be abolished, saying it emerged as an unintended consequence of the redress programme and continues to deny workers the full benefits of the sector. According to Namibia Press Agency, addressing stakeholders at the conclusion of a two-day fishing industry engagement in Walvis Bay, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the labour hire system developed because entities allocated fishing quotas under the redress programme were often not the same entities with the operational capacity to fish and process, creating a disconnect that disadvantaged employees. 'The labour hire model which has emerged more apparent as an unintended consequence of the redress programme, where the entities allocated fishing quotas were not the same entities with operational capacity, should cease to exist as it distorts the optimal benefit to the employees,' she said. The Head of State also announced that the redress programme will come to an end in April 2027. Cabinet has already been directed to identify alternative sectors that can absorb workers who may lose jobs during the industry's transition. On the two-day engagement with the industry, the president said it revealed an industry under pressure from both internal governance challenges and external climate-related factors, warning that Namibia is now entering an industry transition that requires unity and difficult decisions. 'My delegation and I came to this engagement to genuinely listen and learn from the fishing sector. I am leaving this engagement far more enriched. It was indeed a sobering engagement,' she said. She noted that the fishing sector is not just another sector, but one that sustains livelihoods, supports coastal communities and carries personal meaning for many Namibians. Nandi-Ndaitwah said presentations made during the engagement were grounded in scientific data rather than assumptions, particularly on fish stock sustainability, and urged stakeholders to accept scien ce-based sustainability measures, especially regarding pilchard management. Cabinet will also consider recommendations from the engagement, including transparent and performance-based quota allocation, value addition and diversification, and the establishment of a national fisheries indaba as a structured reform process rather than a conventional consultative forum. The indaba is scheduled for later this year.