Fish Farming: Solving The Cost Equation

Stakeholders in aquaculture within and without Cameroon are back to their respective localities after sharing experiences and learning best practices on how to step up quality and quantity production of fish in the country. The Interprofessional Aquaculture Exhibition of Cameroon, as the get-together was known, gave actors in the fisheries sector the opportunity to showcase to a wider public their ingenuity as well as seek better ways of making the activity more beneficial to the fish farmers and national economy as a whole. 
It was indeed a rare moment to display the latest technologies, innovations and know-how to professionals in the aquaculture industry and, together, reflect on how to take a leap for a better tomorrow. Organised by the Interprofessional Organisation for the Development of Aquaculture in Cameroon on the theme: “Contribution of the Sector to the Import-substitution,” the Yaounde gathering sought to devise ways of sustainably supporting promoters who are specifically involved in the aquaculture sector, right across the chain. 
Organisers held that the first task is to identify and establish a network of producers, and to support them as they mature. Little wonder, the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Dr Taiga, told participants that the show should help to establish a better reference situation in the aquaculture sector and open up new prospects, particularly for technical, technological and commercial cooperation with aquaculture entities in the country.
Visibly, the idea to organise the weeklong confab wherein actors across the aquaculture chain in Cameroon and beyond came together under one thinking cap is laudable. More so, given the place the fisheries sector occupies in the national economy. It is common knowledge that fish is one of the high-consumer produce in the country and its insufficient local production, as has been the case over the years, pushes government to resort to imports. 
Statistics show that fish production in the country in 2023 was around 230,000 tons against demand estimated at 500,000 tons. The over 270,000 tons demand/supply shortfall for now is bound to be bridged by imports. In fact, available information from the National Institute of Statistics shows that Cameroon spent FCFA182.5 billion in 2023 for the import of 234,572 tons of fish. A scenario that drains huge scarce liquidity and worsens the country’s trade balance. Cognizant of the fact that the demand is bound to grow with the growth in population, especially owing to the nutritional values of fish, there was every reason to think.
There was therefore an urgent need to change the narrative. Targeting aquaculture was not by chance. For, there is visible effervescence in the sector. So many people are into the form of fish farming. Actors have developed possibilities of even carrying out the activity in reduced spaces. Moreover, the climate and ecology are favourable and the country has great potential, particularly thanks to its 420 km of maritime coast, with mangrove forests, the availability of agricultural and agro-industrial byproducts, the presence of an endogenous and varied fish population suitable for fish farming, and a very dense hydrographic network. Making good use of these varied opportunities would help step up production and limit the wide demand/supply gap. Aquaculture production in Cameroon was reported at 10,118 metric tons in 2022, according to the World Bank statistics. It thus pays to make the skies brighter. 
The Yaounde forum and the visible enthusiasm shown the activity by the population constitute enough evidence that fish farming could be one of the sectors government can count on to walk the much-trumpeted import/substitution policy. In fact, fish farming presents an excellent opportunity for financial growth and sustainability, but success hinges on a thorough understanding of production challenges and being capable of surmounting them. 
Indeed, one of the impediments to sustainable and cost-effective local fish production in the country, as raised by attendees of the Yaounde Interprofessional Aquaculture Exhibition of Cameroon, is the cost of production. Viable fish farming begins with containing the cost. 
Experts hold that sustainable fish farming begins with the choice of pond-type with options ranging from mud ponds, concrete ponds, or even plastic tanks. The choice should absolutely align with the budget of the farmer and the fish species he plans to raise based on his business plan. Farmers also ha...