Improving fisheries in Cameroon

Abstract

The Republic of Cameroon is a tropical West African country, slightly larger than California (475,000 km2), lying 60 north of the equator and 12° east of Greenwich. Recent estimates place the population slightly above 16 million. The terrain is diverse, a coastal plain in the southwest, a central plateau, mountains to the west and plains in the north. The land supports a variety of vegetation types including tropical rain forests that are under threat from slash and burn agriculture driven by increasing poverty and the demand for land from a rapidly growing rural population. The World Fish Center is working with partners on initiatives aimed at sustainable management of the humid forests. Integrated agriculture¬aquaculture (IAA) has been identified as a suitable livelihoods strategy for Cameroonian smallholder farmers. Farmer-scientist research partnerships have been set up to assist with the extension and support work.