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Cameroon: Research Confirms Trawling Caused Havoc
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The Post (Buea)
4 July 2008
Posted to the web 4 July 2008
Francis Tim Mbom
A team of experts from the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT, have released a report confirming that twin trawling along Cameroon's coastline has caused regrettable damage to the fish population.
Fosso Kemajou (team leader) and Israel Ngalla, Monday, June 30, presented in Limbe, the results of data collected in line with government's new programme dubbed the Atlantic Community Integrated Development Programme, ACIDP.
"In fact, fishing is being done without respecting the norms. The dimensions of the nets which are being used are too small so they catch almost everything including fingerlings, which means that the base of fishing is being destroyed," Ngalla said.
He added that products prohibited for fishing such as toxic chemicals, which also kill the fishes are often used.To make matters worse, the twin trawlers rake almost everything and fishing zones are not respected. They also tamper with breeding grounds.
"It is a very serious problem which if not looked into, eventually, we will be by the sea and we won't have fish to eat," remarked Ngalla.He, however, said the above scenario does not only apply to those involved in twin trawling, but also to some local fishermen who indulge in bad fishing habits.
Besides the damage caused by twin trawling, the report also indicated that for ACIDP to work effectively, access roads must be provided to ease the evacuation of farm produce, social amenities like health centres and qualified staff must be provided in some areas.
The report also named problems encountered like heightened pollution of the coastal waters, irrational exploitation and poor management of coastal resources and management of biodiversity and, among others, poor control and distribution of human settlement and industrial establishments.
Fosso and Ngalla said their research was one of the major steps in the on-going programme, which began in April across the three coastal provinces: South, Littoral and the Southwest.
Ngalla said their report would be forwarded to the various sectors in the ministries concerned for consideration and final approval.
On her part, the Division Delegate of MINEPAT, Mrs. Martha Nkwanyuo, said if things work out well, the women would specially benefit since they make the bulk of those involved in the fish smoking business.
To her, if government could step in with revenue-generating programmes that would help boost the fishing sector, their livelihoods would certainly be made better.But the denizens expressed doubts. They sought to know if the programme had taken into consideration the dire need to guard the waters and ensure that destructive fishing habits such as twin trawling are fully checked.
"This has been taken care of," the MINEPAT Delegate reassured them.Nevertheless, the denizens were still doubtful of government's commitment in establishing and maintaining a surveillance force in the waters.
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They cited the example of some surveillance boats the Southwest Development Authority, SOWEDA, provided for Limbe some years back, but fuelling them, most of the times, is always a problem.
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