It has been five years since Namibians awoke to the headline “The Kickback Kings” on the front page of The Namibian newspaper on November 13, 2019. The Fishrot corruption scandal had been laid bare in disturbing detail. Two weeks later, the Al Jazeera documentary Anatomy of a Bribe provided the world with an in-depth look into Fishrot’s web of deceit, bribery, and exploitation. Namibia’s Financial Intelligence Centre has flagged US$ 650 million in tainted transactions linked to Fishrot.

In the intervening half decade, ten arrests (including two former ministers) have been made in Namibia, while no one has been charged in Iceland. Namibia’s court process has been plagued by delays, and political leaders have largely evaded taking significant corrective action. Namibia’s Marine Resources Act, which partially enabled Fishrot by giving the Fisheries Minister discretionary power to allocate quotas, remains untouched despite initial promises from politicians that it would be reformed.

Perhaps most shockingly, the Icelandic company at the heart of the scandal has so far avoided any serious consequences. Samherji, Iceland’s largest fishing company, stands accused of bribing Namibians to secure lucrative horse mackerel fishing quotas over a period of seven years. 

Corruption is never a victimless crime, and in the Fishrot case, the victims are clear: hundreds of workers lost their jobs due to the diversion of fishing quotas and Samherji’s eventual withdrawal from Namibia after the 2019 revelations.

The severe human toll of the Fishrot scandal is documented in two human rights reports published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) this year. These reports give former fisheries workers a platform to share their stories, highlighting the devastating impact of corruption. In both reports former fishermen and their families speak about their struggles to maintain basic living standards and lead dignified lives.

According to the latest human rights report, Right Now, I Cannot Survive, released this month, 90% of former fishermen surveyed have been unable to find steady work since losing their jobs due to Fishrot. Additionally, 95% report lacking regular access to enough food for themselves and their families, with 53% experiencing daily food shortages. Apart from the economic hardship the workers have endured, the fallout of the Fishrot scandal has weighed heavily on their mental health.

Despite clear evidence of the suffering these fishermen and their families have gone through, Samherji has remained unmoved. But the company, which operates throughout Europe and also sells in North American markets, cannot live in denial forever.

Increasingly, corruption is being seen as a human rights issue. There are growing calls for the victims of corruption to be consulted during corruption probes, represented in court proceedings, and ultimately compensated for their suffering.

The IPPR, in collaboration with Transparency International Iceland, is calling on Samherji to apologise for its role in the Fishrot scandal and to provide full compensation to the directly affected individuals and Namibian society as a whole.

The IPPR recommends establishing an independent body, comprising representatives from the Namibian government, civil society, and fishermen’s unions and associations. This body would be empowered to use a financial settlement from Samherji to provide transparent, long-term assistance to the victims of corruption and ensure accountability in the support process.

Civil society in Namibia should come together with their counterparts in Iceland to press for full accountability. None of those involved, whether in Windhoek or Reykjavik, should be able to avoid being held accountable.

Five years is a long time but we should be inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr’s saying: “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.”

By Graham Hopwood

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Graham Hopwood is the Executive Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in Windhoek, Namibia. The two human rights reports mentioned in this blog can be downloaded at www.ippr.org.na