Cameroon’s fish imports drop amid persistent production challenges

CAMEROON – According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS) in its 2023 foreign trade report, Cameroon’s fish imports fell from 241,798 tons in 2022 to 234,572 tons in 2023.

This 3% decrease, amounting to 7,226 tons, is notable but the reduction in value is even more significant- the cost of fish imports decreased by CFA20 billion (US$33M), falling from CFA202.6 billion(US$335M) to CFA182.5 billion(US$302M), a 10% decline.

The country continues to struggle with a significant gap between fish production and demand, which remains at around 500,000 tons per year.

Despite government efforts to boost production, this deficit has worsened slightly to 270,000 tons.

Initiatives to close this gap include developing maritime and inland production areas and supporting the establishment of fishing and aquaculture operations.

The Ministry of Economy’s Integrated Agropastoral and Fish Import-Substitution Plan (Piisah) 2024-2026 reveals that Cameroon produced 230,000 tons of fish in 2023, marking a 1% decrease from the previous year.

However, reports show that the industry faces considerable challenges.

For instance, Cameroon has received a “red card” from the European Union (EU) for failing to meet international standards in deep-sea fishing management.

This sanction follows a “yellow card,” indicating ongoing issues in marine resource governance.

On May 7, 2024, a workshop in Douala, organized by the African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization (AMMCO) along with CEMLAWS Africa and the Ministry of Fisheries and Animal Industries, addressed the impacts of deep-sea fishing on Cameroon. 

The event was crucial in understanding and tackling the challenges faced by the nation’s fishing sector.

Looking ahead, Cameroon aims to significantly reduce its dependency on fish imports.

According to Piisah, the goal is to achieve a production of 450,530 tons by 2030, cutting import dependency to 3%.

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