September 27, 2012 — Namibia clinched silver in the 2012 Future Policy Award for its forward-looking Marine Resources Act at the United Nations (UN) head office in New York yesterday. The legislation is considered to be one of the world's most inspiring and innovative ocean protection policies.
Namibia shares the price with the Philippines. The gold award went to the Micronesian Republic of Palau in recognition of two outstanding marine policies.
Judges for this award were experts from academia, politics, international bodies, civil society, and indigenous groups from the five continents.
Namibia's Marine Resources Act, according to the judges, has instituted an ecologically and economically viable fishing industry, a policy adopted after the over-fishing in an unregulated sector during the pre-independence years.
In terms of the law fishing companies are now required to apply for a licence and quotas for the eight main commercial fish species in Namibia's coastal waters.
Fish stocks are carefully monitored, and if they fall below critical thresholds, a moratorium is set and fishing is banned until it can be established that fish stocks have recovered.