Nueva Pescanova tightens bonds with Namibian government

Nueva Pescanova Group’s Namibian fishing fleet has become the first to obtain the FISH Standard for Crew international certification.

Nueva Pescanova’s Namibian subsidiary, NovaNam, had the labor standards on board its 11 fishing vessels audited by Bureau Veritas and confirmed as meeting the certification’s standards for ethical hiring practices, adequate pay, and access to a fair grievance-resolution process.

“The safety and health of our people and responsible and transparent labour relations are two essential aspects in our culture,” Nueva Pescanova CEO Ignacio González said. “We are proud that NovaNam has been one of the first companies in the world to receive a certification for compliance on board, attesting that our crew members have been selected and hired ethically, have decent working conditions, fair wages and that we are transparent in our internal processes.”

The entire Novanam fishing fleet, consisting of two freezer vessels and eight wetfish trawlers, including the new Lalandii 1, Novanam One, and Novanam Two, which primarily fish for hake, were awarded the FISH Standard for Crew certificate. NovaNam has an estimated 300 onboard crew including Nelago Kwedhi, Namibia's first female trawler captain, working from the company’s home ports in Lüderitz and Walvis Bay. The company, which has 2,200 employees in total working in Namibia, said it has prioritized a training and generational renewal plan that “allows Novanam to have local staff in management positions, including crews in many cases 100 percent Namibian.”

“With the FISH Standard for Crew certification, we once again evidence that we are at the forefront on sustainability in its social aspect,” NovaNam Managing Director Edwin Kamatoto said in a press release.

Nueva Pescanova has invested EUR 39 million (USD 39.7 million) into its Namibian operations in recent years, including the construction of three new factory ships. It recently installed photovoltaic plants at its Lüderitz facilities, capable of generating 317,000 kilowatts per year, reducing the company’s carbon footprint by 3,900 metric tons.

The company’s headquarters in Vigo, Spain, received a visit from Namibian Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Derek James Klazen on 23 June. Klazen visited the company’s turbot-breeding plant in Mougás, Spain, visited the company’s seafood-processing factories in Porriño and Chapela; and received a presentation on aquaculture research and development at the Pescanova Biomarine Center in O Grove, where the company developed a process to farm octopus.

Nueva Pescanova also delivered an update on its process of digitalizing its supply chain through its Pescanova Factory 4.0 prototype factory, which integrates blockchain and artificial intelligence into its business management and production. The company said it eventually hopes to roll out the new technology across its 17 factories globally, along with its Sea2Table 4.0 initiative, which is a collaboration with ASM Soft and the Gradiant technology center to promote sustainability and efficiency in the production of its products through the application of technologies including sensorization or artificial intelligence, among others.

The Sea2Table4.0 project received subsidies from the Galician Agency for Innovation and is being co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Additionally, it has received support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Innovation of the Xunta de Galicia.

Photo courtesy of Nueva Pescanova