Three tonnes of fresh fish auctioned in Tiko

The authorities at the Ministère de l’élevage, des pêches et des industries animales (Minepia) of the South West region auctioned three tonnes of fresh fish after two boats were seized for illegal fishing in Tiko on Wednesday May 27, 2015 according to reports the CRTV national radio.

The species of fishes auctioned were the captaine, sardines and bossu among others were auctioned while the belts and nets used for these illegal fishing activities were burnt.

The boats seized paid a public treasury of more than 5 million CFA francs each to the sub-prefect of Tiko, Patrick Che Ngwashi.

According to the control brigade leader and surveillance of fishing activities at MINEPIA, Dr. Collins Etah Ayuck the fishes were removed from the water in an area of three thousand fishermen and sold.

It is an area reserved for reproduction and artisanal fishing. The nets used by fraudsters measured 20mm, 40mm and 60mm instead of the 70mm required for industrial fishing as specified by law.

A regional delegation at the Ministry of Livestock Fisheries and Southwest Animal Industries reassured that the campaign against illegal fishing and other maritime activities prohibited area will not stop there.

In December 2013, two Chinese fishing boats, called ‘Da Lian Yu 15027 and 15028’ had already been boarded off the coast of Cameroon, with more than 100 tonnes of fish on board were auctioned as reported in Investir au Cameroun magazine.

According to sources from the Ministry of Fisheries, illegal fishing for which the Chinese, Ghanaians, Nigerians and Indians are often blacklisted, the fishery resources lose an estimated amount of 20 billion CFA francs each year, while the country spends some 100 billion CFA francs per year for fish imports.