Freshwater fish seed resources in Cameroon

Abstract

The climate, land and water resources of Cameroon, combined with the high demand for fisheries products, makes this Central African country a high potential area for aquaculture. Fingerling availability and quality have been identified as key constraints which hold the sector back from rapid expansion. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus) are the two most widely cultured species and are often grown in polyculture. Some 32 government hatcheries have been built, but few are functional and none operates at full capacity. Most producers rely on 14 small-scale, private sector hatcheries for their seeds, but supply is irregular and quality remains a serious problem. New policy and research initiatives undertaken by a coalition of government, private sector and international research agencies are underway to address these inadequacies.