This came after the environment commissioner issued the Namibia Marine Phosphate a clearance certificate to start work on the Sandpiper Mine, about 120 kilometers off the coast of the port town of Walvis Bay (about 395 kilometers from Windhoek).
Issued on Sept. 5, the certificate was made available to the media on Oct. 18. Since then, the issue has seen an unprecedented row between the environment and the fisheries ministries.
The confederation has been an outspoken opponent of marine phosphate mining, which they say would destroy the fishing sector that employs more than 13,000 people permanently and more than 8,000 others indirectly.
The fisheries minister, Bernard Esau, also opposed the issuance of the certificate, saying it might damage the fishing sector that generated 10 billion Namibian dollars (710 million U.S. dollars) in export revenue during the 2015/2016 season. Enditem
Source: Xinhua/NewsGhana.com.gh
