- Small-scale fishers in Cameroon’s Douala-Edéa National Park (DENP) are facing severe threats to their livelihoods and physical safety from industrial Chinese trawlers engaging in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
- Local Collaborative Management Committees (LCMCs) have been established with support from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) to help communities participate in conservation and combat illegal fishing.
Impact of IUU Fishing
- Trawlers utilize destructive methods, including toxic chemicals like gamaline 20 and fine-mesh nets, which deplete fish stocks and destroy mangrove habitats.
- Local fishers report direct violence, including intentional destruction of their gear, theft of catch, and armed attacks; three fishers were shot in the past year.
- Financial strain is acute; replacing fishing kits repeatedly has forced many into a cycle of debt with local market lenders.
- Cameroon’s persistent IUU issues led to the European Union (EU) issuing a “red card” in 2023, banning the import of Cameroonian fisheries products into the EU market.
The Role of Local Collaborative Management Committees
- Following a 2024 government guidebook on community involvement, 10-person LCMCs were installed in Mbiako and Yoyo in August 2025.
- The committees comprise diverse representatives, including women, youth, and fishers from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and Benin.
- Guided by the principle of “Ajeseku” (Yoruba for “Eat small and leave some”), the committees are tasked with:
- Monitoring protected area boundaries and reporting illegal activities like poaching or unauthorized timber harvesting.
- Acting as mediators between local communities and government authorities.
- Involving marginalized groups in the planning and decision-making for park management.
Future Implications
- Conservation officials acknowledge that government services alone are insufficient to safeguard the park, highlighting the necessity of community buy-in.
- While local government authorities support the LCMC initiative, they have cautioned that the committees are not primary decision-making bodies and must continue to coordinate with official enforcement agencies.