Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Dr Abraham Iyambo, at an impromptu gathering organised by Ministry personnel to celebrate the awards he received from various international fisheries organisations, said the awards conferred on him are because of the dedication and hard work of the personnel at his ministry.

A packed conference room at the ministerial headquarters was full of praises as various heads of directorates, one after the other, showered praises on Iyambo on Monday.

In response, he dedicated the three awards, namely the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa (AASA) Award in 2009, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) Margarita Lizárraga Award for 2008/2009, and the Kungsfenan Swedish Seafood Award in 2009 to them.

Iyambo was selected in recognition of his national, regional and international leadership with distinction in the application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries through implementation of responsible fisheries science, policies and management including negotiations leading to the Reykjavik Declaration, his contribution to the establishment of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project (BCLME), the Benguela Environment Fisheries Interaction and Training Programme (BENEFIT) and the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (SEAFO).

The Kungsfenan Swedish Seafood Award was bestowed on Iyambo for his contribution to the optimal utilisation of marine resources and for his work in developing a sustainable administration of Namibia’s fishing resources.

A modest Iyambo on Monday diverted the praises showered on him to his personnel for their relentless efforts in promoting fisheries and implementing policies of the ministry.

“This award is not for Abraham Iyambo. It is for all of us because we are a huge family. It is for the workers of the sea, scientists and all those dedicated to trying to make things better for our fisheries.”

He urged the ministry’s employees to reinvest their efforts into taking the ministry to greater heights.

“The challenge is now for us to live up to what we have achieved and step up a notch higher,” said Iyambo.

Source: New Era