Mekin dam to produce 500 tonnes of fish yearly

One of Cameroon’s ambitious projects, the Mekin hydroelectric Dam, will be able to produce an estimated 500 tons of fish, according to experts from the Cameroon Ministry of Fisheries and Animal Industries.

Recently, Hydro Mekin, the company managing the Mekin Dam, and the Ministry of Fisheries and Animal Industries, signed a Memorandum of understanding for the establishment of a development project of industrial fishing around the energy infrastructure.

This mega hydroelectric project is expected to designate an area of extensive fishing on approximately 8000 hectares, where 11 varieties of edible fish were identified by experts from the Ministry of Fisheries.

Cameroon, a big consumer of seafood unfortunately produces only about 176,000 tonnes of fish every year, but imports about 200,000 tonnes per year to cover the shortfall.

These imports according to official figures stand at FCFA 120 billion per year. Standing over the Dja River, south of Cameroon, the 15 MW Mekin hydroelectric dam would additionally reinforce the South interconnected grid and also supply power to all eight council areas in the Dja and Lobo Division of Cameroon.