This Sunday, September 27, Savaneta will once again become the epicenter of fishing, gastronomy, culture, and community during the second edition of the Savaneta Seafood Festival. Following the successful inaugural edition in 2025, the Savaneta Prome Capital foundation is hosting the festival once again to continue offering a platform for local fishermen, producers, and entrepreneurs, while placing Savaneta’s fishing traditions at the center of primary sector development.
The Savaneta Prome Capital Foundation is organizing this unique festival in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs, and Primary Sector, along with various public and private partners. The initiative was born out of a vision to celebrate Savaneta’s fishing heritage, create economic activity within the community, and continue positioning Savaneta as the fishing capital of Aruba.
This Sunday, the public can enjoy a variety of fish and seafood, culinary offerings, live music, entertainment, handicrafts, and family-friendly activities. Beyond the celebration lies a broader objective: connecting local fishing with gastronomy, entrepreneurship, culture, and economic development to create more opportunities around a sector deeply embedded in Aruba’s identity.
For Minister Geoffrey Wever, the Savaneta Seafood Festival is not an isolated initiative. It links directly to several actions currently being implemented to strengthen the necessary foundation for the primary sector to grow and generate economic opportunities.
In the fishing sector, the Government has invested in renovating the pier at the former Brisas del Mar in Savaneta—a crucial piece of infrastructure for local fishermen and the community. Current policy also includes investment in other fishing piers, aiming to provide adequate facilities for the sector.
Simultaneously, through the Piskechi Program, the Government is investing in the next generation. Children and youth aged 10 to 17 have had the opportunity to learn traditional fishing techniques and gain practical knowledge, preserving local skills while encouraging interest in fishing as a vital component of the primary sector’s future.
Minister Geoffrey Wever highlights that these various initiatives share a unified policy vision:
“If we want to strengthen the primary sector, we must address every part of the value chain. We need infrastructure for our fishermen, knowledge transfer for the next generation, opportunities for entrepreneurs, and a marketplace where local products gain higher visibility. The Savaneta Seafood Festival brings these elements together in one place—our fishermen, our produce, our culture, our entrepreneurs, and our community.”
The vision for the primary sector focuses on establishing conditions for local production to expand and driving economic activity around agriculture, fishing, and local manufacturing. This aligns with the broader goals of economic diversification, fostering entrepreneurship, and building a more resilient food supply for Aruba.
In agriculture, for instance, the Afl. 3 million AGRIFUND created access to financing for producers and farmers to invest in their commercial operations. In fishing, infrastructure investments, youth education, and local product promotion form key parts of the same direction: building a primary sector with expanded capacity to produce, develop, and generate economic momentum.
The inaugural Savaneta Seafood Festival in 2025 was launched with the intention of becoming an annual event. With this second edition, the initiative builds firmly upon that foundation. The goal is for the Savaneta Seafood Festival to keep growing as a platform where fishermen, merchants, entrepreneurs, gastronomy, and local culture converge. Consequently, the value of local fishing doesn’t end when the catch reaches the shore; it continues to generate economic momentum through food preparation, sales, culinary arts, commerce, and cultural experiences.
“We want to see a primary sector that creates opportunities—one that not only preserves our heritage but also innovates, generates revenue, and offers bright prospects for the next generation. For Savaneta, fishing is part of its history, but it can also be a vital part of its economic future,” Minister Wever stated.
The second edition of the Savaneta Seafood Festival is another moment to highlight local products and demonstrate the potential when government, community, fishermen, and businesses work toward a shared goal.
Minister Geoffrey Wever invites the entire community of Aruba and our visitors to come to Savaneta this Sunday, September 27, between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM, to enjoy the atmosphere and experience firsthand the local products, culture, and fishing traditions that Savaneta has to offer.
This Sunday, Savaneta celebrates its fishing, its culture, and its community.
