The first session of the inter-ministerial committee to support investors in the aquaculture sector was held in Yaoundé on 21 June 2021.

To evaluate the various actions carried out under the call for expressions of interest launched by the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries and to define new guidelines to facilitate the process of setting up investors in aquaculture. This was the objective of the meeting chaired by Dr Taïga, Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries and chairman of the committee. The participants in this first inter-ministerial committee are drawn from government departments with a close link to aquaculture production. Agriculture, estates and land affairs, decentralisation, finance and many other sectors took part in this two-day consultation.

As a reminder, 117 investors responded to MINEPIA’s call, including five foreigners and 112 nationals. The purpose of the call was to solicit private investors to set up profitable commercial aquaculture projects in Cameroon. The targeted links in the aquaculture value chain concern the production of feed or fry, intensive production, marketing and distribution of table fish.

The inter-ministerial committee also aims to increase aquaculture productivity in Cameroon. National demand for fish products is estimated at over 500,000 tonnes a year. In 2019, aquaculture production was estimated at 9,100 tonnes, which is reason enough for investors to look for opportunities in this field.