MANAGEMENT AND LEGISLATION, CONCLUSION, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, REFERENCES

 

MANAGEMENT AND LEGISLATION

The main laws dealing with the aquatic ecosystems in Cameroon are: Law N° 94/01 of 20 January 1994 on the exploitation and the management of forests, wildlife and fisheries, and Law N° 96/12 of 5 August 1996 on the management of the environment.

The preamble of the fundamental law N° 96–06 of 18 January 1996 consecrates the rights of native minorities within their homeland. Together these regulation schemes, if strictly applied, strongly support sustainable management of isolated fisheries, such as the catfish resources of the Nkam Valley. The introduction of alien species (between river basins and from abroad), fishing gear, pollution prevention and other fishery management strategies are dealt with in the existing legislation. A new and revised set of laws to bring the legislation into line with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing (CCRF) is currently under development. This will reinforce the role of research and co-management of fisheries resources, committing the main actors to use available scientific information to improve management of both national and transboundry fisheries (Pouomogne, 2006). Lessons learned in the Nkam Valley (Vander Stuyft and Essomba, 2005; Pouomogne and Mikolasek, 2007) also have relevance to management approaches based on native rights and indigenous knowledge reported in Thailand for the Bangkhen fish culture, Niger in the Tafouka flood ponds and in the Benin whedoes on the Oueme river (Muanboong, 1981; Mikolasek, Mahaman and Siddo, 1998; Imorou et al., 2007).

 

CONCLUSION

The use of wild-caught Clarias catfish for aquaculture purposes is an ancestral practice of the Mbo people in the Nkam Valley. Over the past 10 years, the demand for this seed material outside the valley has created new market opportunities and has led to various Clarias resource management modifications in the valley. In 2006, about 0.5 million seed were caught and used for aquaculture, of which about one tenth was exported out of the valley. The main targeted aquaculture species, Clarias gariepinus, is second in abundance in the wild after the native Clarias jaensis. The Mbo ethnic group have strong regards in the preservation of the fishery resources and have demonstrated instinctive conservation behaviour for the catfish resources. The farmers remain poor but are convinced that they could benefit more from this natural resource.
Research, such as that conducted by the CIP project, may improve the sustainable use of catfish resources in the valley. This programme is based on a better biophysical and socio-technical knowledge of the people and resource which will hopefully lead to improved co-management of the resources (Pouomogne et al., 2006). However, more training of fishers is needed particularly in the handling of wild caught fish to improve quality and survival of fingerlings destined for aquaculture. Most of fishers are poor and unable to implement sustainable management schemes. Adequate credit facilities are necessary to facilitate the purchase of basic fish collection and transportation equipment as well as the construction of short-term holding infrastructure. Due to the strong ethnological and religious links with the aquatic milieu of the Mbo people, legislation reinforcing and protecting their rights may constitute a good strategy to conserve and manage the fishery resource.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Much of the data presented in this report were gathered within the frame of the CIP project. All agro-fishers of the Nkam Valley who contributed information are warmly thanked. Dr Randall Brummett of the WorldFish Center provided comments on the manuscript.

 

REFERENCES

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Brummett, R.E. 2007. Fish seed supply case study: Cameroon. FAO regional workshop November 2007. Accra, Ghana. 13 pp.
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Annex 1
The CIP project – Building Innovation in Fish Farming
The main objective of this project is to build through a partnership approach with small-scale farmers a sustainable model of commercial fish farming. The paradigm of this approach highlights local socio-cultural features of the partners involved in the process, alongside with the systemic and complex agronomic knowledge that is needed to fully appraise the diversity of this tropical ecosystem.
The project started in 2004 with a diagnosis survey of fish farming in Menoua division, Western Cameroon Highlands, using a funding of the “Pole de Competence en Partenariat-Grand Sud Cameroun” (PCP-GSC). This pole of excellence is constituted of the following partners: IRAD, University of Dschang, University of Yaounde 1, and CIRAD. Following the diagnosis, further funds from CIRAD and the French cooperation allowed to build an action research scheme to address the problems identified. This scheme consists of a research team from the above listed institutions, and two groups of farmers namely “Collectif des Pisciculteurs Intensifs de Fokoue et Penka Michel”, (COPIFOPEM) and “PEcheurs et PIsciculteurs de SAntchou” (PEPISA). Key questions addressed by the team are the followings: (i) how to supply fingerlings and make fish farming a sustainable commercial activity at Fokoue; and (ii) how to improve the capture of wild catfish seed and increase financial gains from capture-based aquaculture at Santchou?
A dozen of scientists and postgraduate students are currently involved in this research programme in cooperation with CIFORD, a non-governmental organization, based at Bafoussam, Western Cameroon. Three senior scientists and two farmers’ leaders are animating the research team, namely Dr Victor Pouomogne, Dr Olivier Mikolasek, Dr Minette Tomedi Eyango Tabi, Mr Tila Antoine and Mr Essang Narcisse.