Women's traditional fishery and alternative aquatic resource livelihood strategies in the Southern Cameroonian Rainforest

Brummett, R.E.; Youaleu, J.L.N.; Tiani, A.M.; Kenmegne, M.M.

doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2400.2009.00702.x

Women's traditional fishery and alternative aquatic resource livelihood strategies in the Southern Cameroonian Rainforest

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To inform the development of alternative livelihoods, the women's traditional alok fishery in the Campo-Ma'an National Park and buffer zone of southern Cameroon were studied over 15 months. Participatory rural appraisal was used to characterise livelihood strategies among 45 households. Thirty-three cultured crops, nine farmed animal species and 65 non-timber forest products, including 31 bushmeat species are cultivated in, or harvested from, the forest. Transport is a major impediment to commercial trade of all local products. In 16 alok fishing events, average weight of fish harvested was 5.14 kg per 280 m of stream distributed among an average of 23 fishers for a return of 220 g person-1 or 40 g fish h-1 over 5 h of work. Fish and crustacean standing stock was 25 g per linear metre or 167 t when extrapolated to the zone. Implications for rainforest livelihoods in light of the Millennium Development Goals are discussed.