Abalone farming raises Lüderitz's stock

WINDHOEKSTAFF REPORTER Lüderitz's may have been on the wane, but the harbour town is seeing its stock rise again thanks to the exploitation of its abalone resource. “Due to its unpolluted and oxygen-rich waters, Lüderitz is renowned for its top grade quality abalone,” says Rassie Erasmus, co-owner of Lüderitz Abalone Farming. The company is the first and only land-based abalone farm in Namibia, producing the edible sea snails, also known as perlemoen, for export to China and Hong Kong. A sought-after delicacy, commercial harvests of abalone has declined from around 18 000 metric tonnes to just over 10 000 metric tonnes per annum, according to statistics supplied by the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN). The biggest reason for the decline is said to be illegal harvesting. “The biggest obstacle I faced was to make others see my vision and believe in my dream,” Erasmus said. “It was a dream, farming with this exotic creature. I knew it was very popular, in high demand and extremely profitable,” he added. In 2004, Erasmus began experimental trials in 2004 to monitor whether the perlemoen would adapt to Namibian waters. About 3 000 juvenile perlemoen were imported to the country from South Africa. The plan, he said, was to rapidly set up an 80 tonne farm and earn returns on that investment as quick as possible. The company then approached the DBN, who put up the funds they needed for infrastructure and assisted it with cash. Today, the company boasts between 20 and 39 workers, depending on harvesting activities and workload. It also has an increased number of shareholders, thus strengthening its financial capacity. Erasmus said the biggest risk to the enterprise has been keeping their product disease-free, a process that requires the constant importing of clean and healthy animals, and daily routines aimed at disease prevention. “We hope with future investment to build the farm to a 160 tonne farm, which will create foreign exchange of between N$35 million and N$40 million, depending on the size and sort of product,” Erasmus said. The company has also vowed to increase its involvement in the local community, aiming to up its use of local suppliers. “The abalone farm is an excellent example of how one small business can make a significant improvement to the economy of a smaller centre,” Martin Inkumbi, DBN acting chief executive officer said. “Although the employment figures are superficially small compared to a larger centre, the employment is important, and its benefits ripple out into the community,” he said. “The policy of loyalty to local suppliers and businesses is also important, as this gives them the opportunity to expand and strengthen their financial footing. We hope to see more local businesses that innovate on the basis of the Namibian environment,” Inkumbi added.