Yaounde, Cameroon Africa. (Cameroon News) – A workshop was arranged in Douala to review regulations on fishing and to develop a common management strategy for fishing of shrimp.

A workshop was arranged under the auspices of FAO in Douala yesterday in order to synchronize fishing regulatory measures in Central Africa.

Experts in the subject came in from all parts of the continent in the February 17th meeting at Douala and reviewed in great detail the issues and pressing concerns faced by the fisheries sector in the Central African Sub-region.

The appraisal that will be provided to the various governments as well as respective departments in each member state in the sub region is expected to foster more and more effective steps to moderate fishing of shrimp in an approach that guarantees more participation.

Batoke Cameroon stock of freshly caught fish for sale at a fish market

Delegates who came in to represent every state in the region from Gabon, Cameroon, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea discussed on the various measures to put in place a common sub-regional approach for comprehensive administration of shrimp fisheries in Central Africa.

The workshop, that was arranged by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) at the Littoral Regional Delegation of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries in Douala, was essentially directed towards totally eradicating the violation of fishing regulatory measures that was on a rampant increase especially by foreign fishermen which has become a very regular practice in the seas of the Central African Sub-region.

Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries, EAF-Nansen Project Coordinator at the Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Use and Conservation Division of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Dr. Kwame Koranteng, said the FAO is deploying the EAF-Nansen Project in synergy with 32 African countries through National EAF Task Groups. By means of its EAF, the FAO is also ramping up the capacity of stakeholders in Central Africa to ensure improved management of fishery resources.

Dr. Baba Malloum Ousmann, Regional Director of Fishery and Aquaculture in the Littoral, provided emphasis on making the stakeholders understand the importance of a uniform approach in an attempt to address the pressing concerns that have been caused due to contradicting steps taken across countries of the sub-region.

He brought to the notice of the delegates the fact that the FAO is supporting the country to accept the approach and peak up the capacities of shrimp fishermen, including foreign shrimp fishermen fishing in Cameroon waters.