22 foreign vessels searched offshore Cameroon for illegal fishing

Illegal fishing is all the rage in the Cameroonian waters. According to the Technical Committee of the Regional Commission of Fisheries of the Gulf of Guinea (COREP), which met in Yaoundé on April 14, 2016, not less than 12 fishing vessels belonging to foreign nationals have been boarded and searched in 2015 in the Cameroonian offshore for illegal fishing. A year before, 10 vessels were caught, thanks to the patrols of the Cameroonian army.

Most of the arrested ships, a source close to the affair whispers, belong to Chinese operators. Our source also states, faced with the disinterest of local investors, industrial fishing in Cameroon (and even traditional fishing) is left to foreigners.

However, according to official statistics, the national demand in fish in the country reaches 400,000 tons. Half of this demand is taken care of by imports, which take approximately FCfa 100 billion every year.