Cameroon’s Ministry of Finance says that the fisheries sector contributed 3% of the country’s US$39 billion gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. It is projected to stay the same in coming years. Marine capture fishing operations account for 83% of fish production in the country. Nearly 80% is from marine small scale fisheries.This supports the livelihoods of millions of Cameroonians especially women who mostly depend on fish trade for their livelihood.
Fishing equally constitutes an important part of the socio-cultural system in coastal communities building social cohesion. But the fishery sector faces numerous challenges.
Lack of data on fishing stocks, industrial fishers from other countries, subsidy-driven overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and fisheries crimes.
New research findings by The Pews Trust indicate steadily increasing fishing capacity along the coast of West Africa, promoted by harmful fisheries subsidies and ineffective management. This has driven overfishing of the sardinella fish species.
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