Francis Tim Mbom
9 May 2008
Government has banned the twin trawling fishing practice that has been the modus of fishing employed by the FINI Group fishing trawlers owned by renowned Limbe-based businessman, Gabriel Dima.
The Fako Divisional Delegate of Fisheries, Livestock and Animal Industry, Dr Cecilia Chiawah, confirmed the news Wednesday, May 7.
"The Minister has stopped the practice of twin trawling that had been carried out by a Limbe based fishing company, the FINI Fishing Company. And the SDO has equally given firm instructions for the Proprietor to ensure that his trawlers do respect the orders," Chiawah said.
According to the Ministerial ban, the trawlers have been asked to immediately cease from their twin trawling activities throughout Cameroon's territorial waters. Besides, The Post gathered that the Governors of the three coastal Provinces have been given instructions to ensure that the ban is put in place.
The ban, The Post gathered, was issued on April 11. "We had a meeting with them on Monday, May 5, to see where they will pack the trawlers. And from the FINI Company, they disclosed that they have already packed two of the trawlers at the Douala Port; two of them are packed at the Tiko wharf, while six have gone to Angola. But we still have eight of the trawlers here," she added.
Dr Chiawah said that at her level, they have a surveillance boat that will be put out to check. But she said the checks might be hampered by the fact that she cannot get beyond her jurisdiction.
Besides, she said fuelling the boats to routinely be in water to ensure the ban is maintained would be difficult. She was of the opinion the national maritime brigade could better be employed by the Ministry to effectively do the job.
As to the alternative left for the FINI Company, she said following their meeting held on Monday, they tired to discuss on how the company can adapt the single trawler fishing method. She acknowledged that the twin method where two fishing trawlers are used with a single net tugged between them has been very destructive.
The banning order came at the heels of several calls that have been made by the local fishermen, civil society groups and individuals decrying the twin trawling methods vis-à-vis other excesses of the industrial fishermen. The degree of damage is said to have gone up to an unbearable proportion.
Recently, the General Manger of the Cameroon Development Corporation, Henry Njalla Quan, said if nothing was done to curtail the activities of the industrial fishermen, then the lives of thousands of local fishermen would be in jeopardy and Cameroon was at great risk of a big decline in its fish catch in no too distant time.
The activities of the trawlers have caused untold misery to local fishermen and those who depend on the fishing business, as they were already going out of business. Also, there were incessant complaints of fish scarcity in the market, while the trawling company exceeded its bounds and made enormous fortunes.
Many local fisher people who spoke to The Post said they did not know about the ban but expressed cautious excitement about the news, wondering how effective it would be.
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