LÜDERITZ – Lüderitz hosted the 8th annual crayfish festival over the Easter weekend from Good Friday to Easter Monday.
The event took place at the Lüderitz Waterfront Harbour Square under the theme, “We Love The Sea.”
In his keynote address the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Recourses, Chief Samuel Ankama, who was the keynote speaker commended the rank and file that worked tirelessly to organise the colourful festival that has become very popular.
“Its standard has improved significantly and the fiesta has shaped itself into the symbol of hope and economic aspiration for residents, participants and visitors, thus portraying visible business results in a short period of time,” stated Ankama.
Ankama emphasized that Lüderitz is blessed with marine resources that bring wealth and job creation to the entire Namibian nation and to locals in particular.
The fisheries ministry encourages all fishing industries and individuals to enhance their skills towards economic diversification and productivity, he said.
“We would like to see that quotas allocated in Lüderitz waters should no longer be processed in Walvis Bay but instead here in Lüderitz because such a practice negatively impacts your job and wealth creation,” he asserted.
He further noted there are a number of external factors that impact on the cost of doing business in Lüderitz, namely, fuel prices and electricity costs, among others.
“You must venture into such challenging enterprises to make a breakthrough,” said the deputy minister.
The fisheries ministry’s support through the fisheries quota has made significant economic contributions towards the Lüderitz crayfish festival since its inception in 2008, he added.
Ankama thanked all corporate entities and local SMEs who have supported the festival particularly the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which remains a key role payer to SME development and the promotion of trade.
“The spectrum of companies exhibiting here represents a wide range of industries. In the same vein the new companies are welcome to join this amazing and precious festival,” said Ankama.
The festival was officially launched in 2008 by a joint team consisting of the Lüderitz Town Council and the local business community, with the aim to attract more tourists to Lüderitz, promote local economic development and provide a platform for SMEs and industries to showcase their products and services.
The mayor of Lüderitz and the chairperson of the Board of Trustees for the Crayfish Festival, Suzan Ndjaleka, welcomed and thanked all those who attended the event in “getting a whole sea experience”.
“Your presence at our festival just affirms that we are not competitors but partners, with the fundamental motivation of promoting the consumption of fish amongst the Namibian nation,” Ndjaleka stated.
She explained that Lüderitz is blossoming with great investment opportunities, and the festival is part of the annual strategies to display to the world the investment advantages the town has.
“The council is hard at work and in cooperation with other government institutions and parastatals, as well as private partners, to upgrade the town in terms of infrastructural development,” she said.
Consultations with partners like the Waterfront Development Company look promising, with the second phase of the development well on course.
Ndjaleka was also pleased to inform the gathering that the railway project is nearing completion, which will give the town a facelift as far as logistics is concerned.
It is also her wish that the new Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development vigorously tackle the planned development of the second deep water port, to complement the existing port and enhance the transport industry.
Ndjaleka invited local residents to invest in property development as accommodation continues to be a challenge, especially this time of the year when hundreds flock to the town for the festival.
The opening of a Polytechnic of Namibia, soon to be University of Science and Technology, campus in the next year or so will further increase the demand for housing by students and others, she said.