Shark Island, Namibia

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Aerial photo of Lüderitz and Haifisch Island (left)

Shark Island, or German Haifischinsel, is a small island off the coastal city of Lüderitz in Namibia which is used as a campsite for tourists.

Haifisch Island was the site of a concentration camp from 1904 to 1907 which held members of the Herero and Nama tribes. Over the three years the camp was in operation, 3,000 people met their deaths. For all intents and purposes, it was considered^[who?] a death camp, as its sole purpose was to exterminate the Herero and Namaka people from what the Germans called German South West Africa.^{[citation needed]}

Forced labour from the camp was used to build Lüderitz and local railways. Other camps existed throughout the then German South-West Africa at sites including Swakopmund, Windhoek, and Okahandja.

The Herero and Namaka genocide has been recognized by the United Nations and Germany. At the 100th anniversary of the massacre, German Minister for Economic Development and Cooperation Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul commemorated the dead on-site and apologized for the crimes on behalf of all Germans.^[1]