Cameroon's Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINADER) concluded a four-day capacity-building workshop on February 1 in Yaounde, equipping about 30 agronomists and pisciculture professionals with techniques for production, processing and value addition of farmed fish.

The programme forms part of national efforts to strengthen the country's aquaculture sector and reduce reliance on imported fish products. The training was supported by the Caisse de Développement de la Pêche Maritime.

The workshop brought together participants from all ten regions of Cameroon, focusing on pond management, fish nutrition, artificial breeding methods, and conservation techniques such as smoking and other post-harvest processes. Practical sessions were included to give attendees direct experience of workplace realities. Organisers said the goal was to give engineers and industry actors the skills they need to support producers at grassroots level and improve productivity and competitiveness of locally produced fish.

Participants were also trained in producing local fish feed, a key challenge for Cameroon's pisciculture industry due to high input costs and limited availability. This element of the training aimed to help farmers reduce dependence on imported feeds and improve profitability of fish farming enterprises.

The workshop aligns with Cameroon's broader strategy for the livestock and fisheries sectors, which seeks to reduce massive imports of frozen fish and strengthen food security. Current official data show the national fish production remains well below demand, and Cameroon continues to import large volumes of fishery products each year.

According to MINADER, Cameroon still faces a significant production-demand gap estimated at about 270,000 tonnes annually against domestic demand around 500,000 tonnes. The government's Integrated Agropastoral and Fish Import-Substitution Plan (PIISAH) 2024-2026 sets targets to expand national fish production and reduce reliance on imports. The plan aims to increase domestic output to more than 450,000 tonnes by 2030, cutting dependency to around 3% of total needs.

Fish remains one of the most consumed sources of animal protein in Cameroon. National production is far from meeting consumption levels required by a growing population, which contributes to sustained import flows and pressure on foreign exchange reserves. According to Ministry and FAO figures, fish products contribute significantly to overall protein intake, with per-capita consumption estimated around 15.4 kg per year and fish representing a substantial share of animal protein in household diets.

Efforts to develop aquaculture are part of a broader government strategy detailed in the National Development Strategy, NDS30, which prioritises structural transformation of the economy and strengthening production sectors. The strategy aims to increase supply of fishery and aquaculture products by at least 7.5% over the period 2023-2025 and reduce volumes of imported fish products.

Professionals attending the workshop described the training as well-timed and valuable. They noted that acquiring up-to-date production and feed formulation techniques would enhance their ability to advise and support fish farmers in their regions, particularly on technical and operational aspects of running profitable aquaculture operations.

The National Development Strategy's emphasis on capacity building mirrors Cameroon's broader economic policy goals: enhancing competitiveness of local industries, stimulating rural employment, and improving food self-sufficiency to reduce the drain on foreign exchange caused by fish imports.

Overall, the training reflects ongoing efforts by Cameroon's fisheries authorities to develop aquaculture as a strategic economic sector capable of narrowing the gap between fish demand and national production.

- Business in Cameroon

Cameroon's livestock ministry conducts workshop to equip attendees for farmed fish production

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