Cray About Crayfish

ALL roads led to the southern coastal town of Luderitz, or the Bucht as it is known by locals, for the seventh Annual Crayfish Festival which took place over Easter weekend.

For a town that does not usually receive many visitors from other parts of the country, the festival has become something of an attraction for many Namibians who take the opportunity to be tourists in their own country.

What started off as a celebration of crayfish and seafood in the town in 2008 has now turned into one of the most anticipated events on the Namibian social calendar.

Not only a social event, the festival also acts as an industrial hub for caterers and business people who grab the opportunity to sell their delicious seafood delicacies. From freshly cracked oysters on the rocks, garlic-butter fried shrimp, juicy crayfish tails, mouthwatering paella, grilled king prawns and whole, live crayfish.

While this is a festival dedicated to our friends in the sea, Namibians are known meat lovers and provision is made with a number of stands selling traditional food and red meat which is fried, grilled and cooked in a variety of scrumptious ways.

Seven years in and many of the stall owners say they stay motivated to be part of the festivities because of the great opportunities it creates.

“The government pays 50% of the price for the crayfish and that makes it affordable for the locals who would normally not afford this delicacy from their own ocean,” said vendor Amy Daniels, who has been at the festival since the very beginning.

Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Chief Samuel Ankama, commended the organisers and the people of Lüderitz for growing the festival from its humble beginnings in 2008. He urged the local fishing community to diversify the fish processing and centralise it, saying the fish does not need to be sent to Walvis Bay for processing when it can be done in Lüderitz.

“You have the capacity or it can be built. People here won’t have anything to do if the fish is shipped out,” Ankama said.

Mayor of the Lüderitz Susan Ndjaleka expressed her delight at the wealth of investment opportunities and the increase in the number of foreign visitors.

Packed with various activities from local musicians performing to the vibrant food in abundance, the Luderitz Waterfront was abuzz. While there may be much room for improvement in terms of organisation and creativity, the Crayfish Festival is a national festival to be proud of, one that, given a bit of extra effort, has the potential to attract visitors from across the continent.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.