(Business in Cameroon) - Data given to the press by Dr Taiga, Minister of Fisheries, indicates that “there has been a decline in imports of fish from 160,000 to 140,000 tons in 2012.”

In 2011, Cameroon imported nearly 200,000 tons of fishery products, at an estimated cost of over 100 billion francs CFA – an increase of 30 billion francs compared to 2010 during which the country had imported 150,000 tons of fish.

According to official sources, the demand for fish is around 300,000 tons, which suggests that domestic production has increased slightly, from 120,000 tons to 160,000 tons per year.

Although the situation has improved relatively, with a slight increase in national fish production, the civil society, ACDIC believes that the “gap is unacceptable as Cameroon has a renowned coastline of fish in Africa.”

Cameroon imports fish mainly from Mauritania and China, about 60,000 tons and 20,000 tons respectively, representing an average of 50 percent of the volume of imports.

In recent times, efforts by authorities for the development of industrial fishing and artisanal fishing should enable Cameroon to improve domestic output, although for now, the artisanal fishing is dominated by foreigners from Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.