Unclear mandates and overlapping authority among government institutions have contributed to prolonged uncertainty over beach-cast kelp harvesting activities at Lüderitz.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has confirmed that it is aware of the matter but will not comment, citing an ongoing appeal. Key ministries are declining to comment while the appeal process remains unresolved.
Agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi told The Namibian in August 2025 that the issue was before an appeal board and therefore sub judice.
“The aggrieved party appealed against the decision of the ministry.
Consequently, an appeal board was appointed by the minister. The minister has not yet been given feedback on the outcome of that process.
In the above circumstances, you can appreciate that the minister cannot engage in any conversation with you on that matter,” she said.
The matter centres around a company called JL Marine Merchants, which has been accused of stripping beaches of kelp since 2019 without the required environmental impact assessment (EIA) or environmental clearance certificate (ECC).
Beach-cast kelp harvesting is the collection of naturally washed-up kelp, such as Ecklonia maxima and Laminaria, which break off from coastal kelp forests during rough seas.
It plays a crucial role in the marine ecosystem and can be used to make fertiliser, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and livestock supplements.
In Namibia, an ECC and park permits are required before harvesting kelp as improper harvesting can destroy marine ecosystems.
Internal correspondence seen by The Namibian shows uncertainty over whether local authorities, the environmental ministry or the fisheries ministry hold final decision-making power.
According to objections filed by an existing rights holder and documents seen by The Namibian, JL Marine, a company owned by Johan Strauss, began commercial operations with only a letter from the Lüderitz Town Council in 2019.
The letter permitted JL Marine to clear beach debris within town boundaries.
However, the letter did not explicitly authorise large-scale kelp harvesting or operations beyond municipal jurisdiction.
The company was found operating in the Halifax, Diaz Point, Agate Beach, Aeroplane Bay and Grossebucht areas, about 20 kilometres outside the Lüderitz Town Council area.
Strauss did not respond to questions sent to him by The Namibian on 9 September 2025 or those sent in December 2025.
A 2020 internal communiqué from a former environment ministry official, Harry Tjihukununa, raises concerns about operations extending into protected areas.
“The person doing that should cease from doing that within the boundaries of the park and we would do a follow-up.
Secondly, they need a park entry permit that will allow them to enter the park.
Seaweed is a resource under the control of the fisheries ministry and I am not sure the Lüderitz Town Council alone has the mandate to allow that,” he said.
He warned staff members against issuing correspondence outside their jurisdiction and emphasised that approvals within national parks such as Tsau//Khaeb and Namib-Naukluft required national-level authorisation.
In August 2024, Strauss applied for an ECC to harvest kelp, but an existing rights holder, granted an ECC in 2020 after extensive consultations, formally objected.
The objection cited the absence of required newspaper publications, a lack of public participation and the fact that the application overlapped with an already approved ECC area.
In 2025, the ECC was approved while objections remained pending, despite the formal objections.
A formal appeal against the issuing of the EIA/ECC was lodged in June 2025, but no ministerial response has been forthcoming, leaving rehabilitation costs to the aggrieved party and causing substantial financial losses.
Questions sent to minister of environment and tourism Indileni Daniel’s office on 18 October were not responded to by the time of going to print despite the ministry acknowledging that they would respond.
“Received, please give us time to get the relevant information because the head of the department responsible is out of the country.”
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