The marketing avenue for the Cameroonian movie now is out of the country- Brenda Elung Nee Shey, Vice Chair Person, Cameroon Film Industry

Brenda Shey Elung

How did it all start?

I started in the film industry as an actress and then moved on to become a producer and later on, the Cameroon Film Industry found it necessary that I become the Vice Board Chair of the industry.

As the Vice Board Chair of CFI can you shed light on the road so far covered by the industry? 

The Film Industry is still a baby one and we are still facing a lot of difficulties. There are so many goals we want to achieve but we are being held back by many other things. The only thing keeping the industry going is the passion of the members be it the writers, the actors, the producers, the editors, or the marketers. Every body in the industry now is running out of passion. We can't say we are reaping any thing yet from the industry. We are still learning and trying to copy from those who have made it there especially those in our neighbouring countries and others like the Indian Film Industry. What CFI is trying to do now is to enhance every body's talent. In this direction,the industry has created guilds. These are simply structures that can identify different talents in the industry. The biggest at the moment is that of the actors. There are also guilds for the directors, producers,writers, marketers amongst others that are still being created. The most established however is the actors guild which is already functioning like a Trade Union,registered and called NACAM. The most important however that we want to see functioning is the Producers' Guild. It is our firm belief that if any guild is autonomous, there is going to be more efficiency because we are going to empower ourselves by concentrating on our respective talents. The CFI Board over sees the problems of each of the guilds.

What do you consider to be the peak moments of the Cameroon Film Industry-CFI?

The CFI was created in 2008. At its creation, the Ministry of Culture created a Care Taker Committee headed by Wam Musi pending elections.These elections only took place in 2013 during the Yaounde General Assembly which saw the conduction of elections and the founding of a new board. This board since then has no resources and no recognition as of yet. It therefor cannot do anything.We as a result, are not meeting our set goals. Firstly, we don't have the finances to get things running. Secondly, we don't have a protected marketing structure for our movies and the marketing avenue for the Cameroonian movie now is out of the country. We don't yet have an avenue through which Cameroonians can consume our movies.  

Do you take the present state of the CFI to be a true reflection of the average Cameroonian as far as the educational baggage is concerned? If no then what do you think accounts for this situation?

Its easy to see the source of the problem. Our main problem is mediatisation. If we were recognised and had this platform through which Cameroonian movies are valorised first of all by the state then things will be different.  The National TV Stations are not promoting the film industry by showing our films. It is only CRTV that buys and at a rate that that cannot sustain any initiative. If only five National TV Stations could dedicate sometime for Cameroon movies then we would have a wider recognition and it would be wonderful for the industry and could transform in a very short space of time. Presently the average Cameroonian can give you an expression in the Igbo Language. This is simply because of the existence of many channels that showcase Nigerian Movies. No body knows what we produce but let me tell you that the level of the Cameroon Film Industry will shock you. There are movies that you will watch and will not believe are made in Cameroon. The average Cameroonian just believes Cameroonian films are still as backward  as what they knew maybe about ten years ago.   

Second Edition of the Tongo Cultural festival in the offing

Flashes of the maiden Edition of the Tongo Cultural Festival

Preparation for the second edition of the Tongo Cultural Festival organised by the Royal House of the Missellele Village within the Tiko Municipality is picking up steam.This revelation was made recently by His Royal Highness Chief Mbolo Ndedi Yves Patrice of Missellele who disclosed that the second edition of this cultural festival will be coming up in the second week of November.

The entire village he said was being mobilised to ensure that the second edition registers more success than the maiden edition that took place last year. “Elites of Missellele village have placed all have put all hands on deck to ensure that this year’s festival is successful In this light we have already started visiting the various tribal groups resident in Missellele with an intention of presenting to them things will be expected from them to enhance the success of the second edition”

The second major thing already being done in the line of preparation for the  Tongo Cultural Festival is contacting the sponsors. Among these is the Tiko Council which was the main sponsor last year “ In the days ahead we will be touching orange and other sponsors who have also shown interest in the Tongo Cultural Festival.There are equally other sponsors who have shown their interest in the event such as NEXTEL, MTN Cameroon, the Cameroon Development Corporation CDC who have promised us that they will push us right to the end. We also have other illustrious elites who have decided to sponsor specific aspects of the festival so we are expecting a wonderful festival this year”

With regards to income generating gadgets that could help sustain the cultural festival, Chief Mbollo Ndedi said the festival has a budget which he believed would take care of all activities deemed necessary  Cognizant of the fact that Missellele village alone could not cough out that budget, the chief said activities will be split out such that sponsors will be able to target specific areas in the budget.

Chief Mbollo Ndedi Yves Patrice however cautioned that Missellele should learn not to depend a lot on sponsors “We should be able to make the festival to be self sustainable. In that light, there are a series of things that we will present during a working session which will assemble the elites and the population of the village to see how the festival and other development initiatives in the village will be sustained.”

According to reactions on the official blog site of the chiefdom; miselelechiefdom.wordpress.com,there is need for the cultural tone of thefestival to be intensified. Reacting to this, Chief Mbollo Ndedi said “the Mongo clan which Missellele belongs to has shown particular interest in this festival and in this light, they have visited other details that we left out during the first festival. This is because the first festival was a baby festival Coming up with all these other details which our forefathers left for us, I think this time around, the Tongo Festival is going to present the colours we all want to see.”

To indegenes in the diaspora,  the ruler said they should know that their chief is available and still young and dynamic to work with them  “ I am struggling to set a platform for the upcoming generation and I am calling on them to join me so that we put our heads together and brain storm to ensure that development of Missellele Village is the priority. 

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"Cocoa in Cameroon is one of the most sure sectors for foreign investors" -HRH Chief Esambi Peter Ngoh, CEO-DEAH Entreprises Kumba

HRH Chief Peter Esambi Ngoh of Malende Kumba in Meme Division and Chief Executive Officer of DEAH Enterprises in Kumba has declared that the cocoa sector in Cameroon is one of the most sure investment avenues for foreign investors. Among other things, he also intimated that Cocoa beans from Cameroon and especially that from Meme Division in he Southwest Region has the best quality in the world. He said though Cameroon only ranks third in world cocoa production, in terms of quality it is a different ball game all together. He was speaking recently in an interview in his Kumba office. Among other things he also enumerated the main problems plaguing the cocoa sector in Meme Division particularly and Cameroon in general. He was interviewed by Francis Ekongang of EDEV Web News.
Excerpts
Who exactly is Chief Peter Esambi Ngoh
I am the Chief Executive Officer of DEAH Enterprises, Kumba, a huge Enterprise that was created by my late father HRH Chief D.J. Ngoh. The Enterprise at its inception dealt mostly in cocoa and coffee bu after the passing away of is founder, we have remained concentrated on Cocoa. The company at he moment is strictly a coffee buying one.
How is the average plantation farmer coping with challenges in the sector. You as a cocoa plantation owner is in a perfect position to throw light on this.
I think Cameroon is the third producer of cocoa. Because of the strictness of the market, I think we are first in quality because our cocoa is dried a 8 degree centigrade  and as such there is no smoke, no mold and no dirt. In Meme Division, we have had enough training and I equally train my employees and just by touching the cocoa beans I can annalise and know its quality. With our gadgets we can detect the degree of humidity among other gadgets of this nature. When you have quality cocoa like that, you sell at a very high price..
What are the price trends of cocoa at the moment?
Last year cocoa prices were very bad and fluctuated constantly. This is going to be the golden year for farmers. The price now is very good. I don’t want to quote it but I think its very favourable. Its favourable now because the first grains are just being picked. Now when the heart of the raining season comes which is the peak moment for cocoa, I don’t think they will maintain that same price.
What are the main challenges faced by the cocoa sector ?
DEAH is a Plantation Cocoa farmer. I don’t have any advantages.. In my sector now, there are a lot of disadvantages. Firstly, there is the problem of roads which is indeed killing us. For example last year during the raining season,  which is the heart of the cocoa season, we were not capable of evacuating a single bag from the plantations because the roads were impassable. We had to wait until the dry season, a time which saw a drop in the price of cocoa. We as such acquired some losses. Financing is another problem. We are financed at very high rates of 12.5%. The financing comes in two ways. You can go to the bank or a credit union facility or you can go to a larger dealer like Sam Fon or Telcar Cocoa. With a collateral of course, they can give you some money to supply exclusively  and that is where they get their money back.
What advice can you give to people struggling to get into the cocoa sector in Cameroon?
We need to collaborate with partners from Europe who can provide us with certain modern equipment that can help us on the farms and such can come in from conglomerates in Germany and the other countries of western Europe. There is also the need for young farmers to know how to manipulate these machines. So once we have investors and we have cocoa beans that are producing all year round, its not going to be an issue of a cocoa season since it is going to be all year round. The cocoa seeds we are buying now and putting into the ground are going to produce cocoa all year round.The realities on the ground are that to buy these seedlings is not cheap. Transporting them is equally expensive and planters need to master the techniques  involved in the planting of these seedlings. Investors need to be aware of all of these and I assure you they will not lose if hey invest in the sector. The Cocoa Sector in Cameroon is one of the most sure sector for foreign investors.
At its creation by Chief D.J. NGoh the company was also into construction contracts and other related services…..
Yes there is the need for this company to grow and attain its former dimensions. Its doors are such open to fruitful partnership and financing. DEAH Enterprises is a licensed dealer in cocoa and coffee and a contracting company that was involved in construction as well. This has seen the enterprise involved in the building of schools, hospitals, drainages, culverts, pavements and all of that. Presently we are not adventuring into building and construction or the contracting section. Here a head capital is needed to even get the contract so it all boils down to financing.
What there for is the way forward for the contracting sector?
We are looking forward to having possible investors in the sector. We have lots of land and we can put up structures, apartment buildings, hostels for students in Buea and Kumba especially now that there is a Higher Technical Teachers Training College going operational in Kumba. I have land in Kumba to get involved in any construction project. DEAH Enterprise is offering a unique opportunity for investors to get implanted in Cameroon.

Tiko Airport earmarked for expansion as AFCON looms.

The Tiko airport, one of the oldest in the country has been earmarked for expansion. Though this  refurbishing of the airport is an old project having been nursed for a long time by the Ministry of Transport, many quarters do not fail to link it with the hosting of one of the pools of the 2016 Female African Cup of Nations in the sea side resort town of Limbe. The looming expansion of the airport was comfirmed in a press chat with the Lord Mayor of the Tiko Council, Chief Mokondo Daniel at the weekend.

Lord Mayor Mokondo Daniel

According to revelations made by the Lord Mayor of the Tiko Municipality, a commission has been put in place to map out lands belonging to the airport and to identify those who have encroached on the airport land. As a result of the need to increase the airport from size C to size B, the land recovered will come in handy the mayor intimated. The mayor further disclosed that even those who were settled on the Mongo Resettlement Area could also be affected. "At first it was disclosed that 195 hectars would be needed for the project but after the Wednesday meeting it seems 213 hectars would be needed for the expansion project." Feasibility work he said was being done to know the number of houses and the number of occupants per house as well as the estimated cost of each building. All of this he said will be put in one report and sent to heirarchy.

Commenting on the socio-economic repercussions of the expansion, he said they will be enormous adding that he was sure heirarchy was going to take all of that into consideration. Though the exact take off time of the project was not yet known, he said 3 Billion FCFA had been set aside for the Tiko Airport Project. "About 4000 people could possibly be displaced by the project. Following the count per house and the number of houses there are between 300 and 350 houses. Some of these are on the airport land while others aren't. Some of them are on the land that was ceded to the Mongo people by the Government." The Mayor explained that this land was former CDC land that was ceded to the Mongo people following a report from the Governor of the Southwest Region explaining that these people suffered from floods from the Mongo River. They were as such told to apply for land on which to  resettle.
"Not every affected person will be inside the airport land and I think the powers that be will manage the issue in the appropriate manner. At the level of the Tiko Council, I have seen that so many of them have their building permits but could not have their land certificates it was a layout and as such needed a land certificate for the entire layout before being taken out into smaller blocks."
Mayor Mokondo Daniel explained that a lot of money had been put in the place siting the examples of an eneo post for the supply of electricity, the availability of portable water made possible by Cam Water, the existence of roads, culverts and bridges as well as a functional primary and nursery school built by the council in partnership with PNDP.

With regards to the risk involved in displacing such a huge population and hazards that this might entail, the mayor had this to say;"if it comes to resettlement, they could be resettled some where precisely towards Big Ekange  meaning that CDC will loose some hectars for the people to be resettled. At the level of the  commission, that is how we see it. The rest of the decisions will be taken by heirarchy. If the socio-economic over heads out weigh the project then I think there will be another consideration. I even hear that the Mongo  chiefs are proposing another site for the airport so I think many parameters are involved and many things have to be taken into consideration."
Considering the demolition excercise for Tiko town, the mayor said it wasn't going to be too soon considering the fact that a lot still had to be done before such an exercise takes place. Lofty as the exercise may be, detailed studies had to be made and reports forwarded.

As to whether the main objective of rebuilding was because of the 2016 Female African Cup of Nations the mayor said "I don't think the sole aim of the project is the AFCON 2016. It is a Government project that has been nursed by the Ministry of Transport for long. I don't think it is only the aspect of football that is making the government to work on this project but football will benefit from the project."
Sources from the Delegation of Sports and Physical Education in the Region hinted that FIFA regulations stipulate that players should not travel for more than 15 mpinutes from the airport to the play ground. Considering the distance from the Douala Airport to the Limbe Stadium, there is bound to be a problem and the Tiko Airport project is there to solve that problem.

La Pêche: " Le Ministère de l'Elevage et de la Pêche a l'intention de créer une usine d'aliments à Foumban » -Dr . Jean Calvin Ndjock , ancien Consultant l'ONU

Le Docteur Jean Calvin Ndjock est un entrepreneur camerounais impliqués dans l'aquaculture ainsi que dans le secteur du tourisme . Avec beaucoup d'experience qui l'a vu passer par l'université de Yaoundé , au Cameroun et, éventuellement, à Marseille , en France où il a étudié l'océanographie , il est actuellement en train de utiliser son expérience dans le secteur privé après avoir quitté la fonction publique .Dans cette interview réalisée par Francis Ekongang Nzante Lenjo de EDEV News , le Dr Jean Calvin Ndjock nous emmène à travers son itinéraire éducatif et sa vie professionnel avec la fonction publique du Cameroun et d'autres organisations internationales . Il n ' seulement faire ressortir les problèmes dont souffre le secteur, mais va de l'avant pour proposer la meilleure voie à suivre . Entre autres , il révèle aussi le plan par le ministère d'ouvrir une usine d'aliments pour poissons à Foumban .

ETISA Beach

Vous avez une grande expérience dans le domaine de la pêche et de l'océanographie . Pourriez-vous nous parler de votre vie professionnelle?

Eh bien je suis diplômé de l'Université de Marseille II d'où j'ai obtenu un doctorat en océanographie en 1977. Retourné au Cameroun en 1978, je fus recruté par le Ministère de l'Elevage et de la Pêche. De là, je fus recruté comme chercheur et envoyé à Limbe en 1980 où on m'a demandé d' ouvrir un centre de la recherche halieutique et de l'océanographie à Batoke. J'ai travaillé à Batoke comme un chercheur et chef de la station jusqu'à 1993. De là, je suis allé à la Direction de l'Institut de recherche agricole . Après, je fus nommé le directeur de la pêche .Cela se passait en 1993. Dès le directeur de la pêche , je rejoint l'Organisation des Nations Unies spécifiquement la FAO basé au Bénin ou j'ai mis 7 ans. Après, je me suis installé à Rome. Je suis allé à Rome pour un an .

Comme une personne à la retraite , vous êtes certainement pas inactif tenant compte de votre richesse de l'expérience.

Oui je suis revenue au Cameroun en 2008, après mon séjour à Rome . Je me suis installé à Limbe où je suis impliqué dans un certain nombre d'activités. Je fais beaucoup de Consultation International . Mes activités sont concentrées dans les pays de la sous région d'Afrique centrale CEMAC et aussi dans les pays d'Afrique de L’ouest. Je travaille aussi avec certaines institutions qui se trouvent dans la zone CEMAC . Mes consultations sont axée sur la définition des politiques de pêche , les problèmes liés à la lutte contre la pauvreté ainsi que les problèmes liés à la protection de l'environnement .

En dehors de la consultation ,nous comprenons que vous êtes également impliqué dans la promotion de l'écotourisme .

 J'ai une structure à Limbe à Batoke sur le bord de la mer où je l'ai mis en place une plage privée où je peux recevoir des invités en vacances qui souhaitent se détendre et manger de la bonne nourriture de la mer et aussi obtenir un logement confortable. Cet endroit est appelé ETISA Beach. Le nom ETISA a été conçu à partir de l'environnement . La première partie du nom ETI signifie Etinde qui est cette partie du Mont Cameroun trouvé à Limbe . La deuxième partie du nom est synonyme de sable. Donc, le sens complet est simplement sables d'Etinde.

Comme une personne retraitée comment faites- vous pour votre passion pour la pêche ?


Parallèlement à l'écotourisme, je fais aussi beaucoup dans la promotion de l'aquaculture. Avec un groupe d'anciens collègues de l'Organisation des Nations Unies, nous avons créé une association qui se concentre sur la promotion de l'aquaculture. Nous venons constamment ensemble pour prendre un regard critique sur les choses que nous faisons. Quant à moi je traite dans les poissons du table. J'ai un certain nombre des bassins piscicoles qui se trouvent sur le bord de la mer alors que certains de mes bassins se trouvent sur les pentes du mont Etinde où nous menons la même activité, mais dans un environnement complètement différent.Le sol de Limbe est volcanique et ne retient pas l'eau. Ainsi,nous sommes obligés d'utiliser des étangs de poissons fabriqués, soit à partir de béton qui est assez cher ou des bassins ce qui est beaucoup plus abordable et plus facile à contrôlé. L'aquaculture au Cameroun souffre généralement de problèmes liés à l'avélinage ou la propagation d'alevins. Il y a aussi le problème de l'eau dont nous avons résolu en capturant l'eau de certains ruisseaux à Limbe. Nous avons également fait quelques trous de forage pour résoudre le problème de l'eau. La troisième problème que nous avons dans l'aquaculture est celui de l'alimentation. Il est une tâche ardue et je pense que nous devrions chercher des moyens de faire baisser le prix des aliments. Les coûts des aliments importés est entre 1500 et 2000 FCFA par kilo. Donc, avec des collègues, nous travaillons sur les moyens de produire des aliments à partir de produits locaux. Le Ministère de l'Elevage, de la Pêche intensifie ses efforts dans ce sens avec l'intention de créer l'usine d'aliments à Foumban. Si cela est fait,ça sera un grand soulagement. Il est seulement de cette façon que l'aquaculture va vraiment décoller au Cameroun. Maintenant le Cameroun ne produit que 1000 tonnes de poisson par an à partir de l'Aquaculture et importe plus de 150.000 tonnes par an.

Que pensez-vous concernant l'avenir de ce secteur ?

Je pense que le ministère est mieux placé pour répondre à cette question , mais quand je travaillais encore avec le ministère , il y avait un certain nombre de questions telles que le problème d’aménagement du secteur de la pêche et celui d'approvisionnement de poissons aux consommateurs.Ce problem de la disposition du poisson aux consommateurs ne peut être résolu que si il y a l'aménagement complète du secteur au niveau de la mer ainsi que à l’intérieur du pays.Toutes les activités liées à la pêche devrait être valoriser.

interview réalisée par Francis Ekongang Nzante Lenjo

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"The Ministry of Livestock, Fishery and Animal Husbandry intends to create a fish feed factory in Fumban" -Dr. Jean Calvin Ndjock,Erstwhile UN Consultant

Doctor Jean Calvin Ndjock is a Cameroonian entrepreneur involved in Aquaculture as well as in the tourism sector. With a rich educational background that saw him passing through university in Yaounde,Cameroon and eventually in Marseille, France where he studied oceanography, he is presently putting all his experience to use in the private sector after retiring from civil service. In this interview carried out by EDEV News' Francis Ekongang Nzante Lenjo, Dr. Jean Calvin Ndjock takes us through his educational itinerary and his careeer life with the Cameroon Public Service and other international organisations. He doesn' only bring out problems plaguing the sector but goes ahead to propose the best way forward. Among other things, he equally reveals the plan by the ministry to open a fish feed factory in Foumban.

Read on

The Exquisite location of ETISA Beach, Limbe

You have enormous experience in the domain of fishery and oceanography. Could you tell us about your professional life.

Well I graduated from Université de Marseille II in 1977 from where I obtained a PHD in Oceanography. Back in Cameroon in 1978 I was recruited by the Ministry of Livestock , Fishery and Animal Husbandry. From there I was recruited as a researcher and sent to Limbe in 1980 where I was asked to open the fishery research and oceanography station in Batoke. I worked in Batoke like a researcher and chief of station till 1993. From there I went to the Directorate of the Institute of Agricultural Research. From there I was appointed the Director of fisheries. That was in 1993. From the Director of fisheries I joined the United Nations specifically the Food and Agricultural Organisation based in Benin. I then moved to Rome after putting in 7 years in Benin. I stayed in Rome for a year.

As a retired person you are certainly not idle considering your wealth of experience.

Yes I came back to Cameroon in 2008 after my stay in Rome. I installed myself in Limbe where I got involved in a number of activities. I do a lot of International Consultancy. My activities are concentrated within countries of the Central African Sub Region CEMAC and also in West African countries. I also work with some institutions that are found within the CEMAC Zone. My consultancy is focused on defining fishing policies, problems relating to the fight against poverty as well as problems related to the protection of the environment.

 Out of consultancy, we understand you are also involved in the promotion of ecotourism.

  It as a result of this that I have a structure in Limbe at Batoke on the sea shore where I have put in place a private beach where I can receive guests on holidays wanting to relax and to eat some good sea food and equally get comfortable lodging facilities. This place is called ETISA Beach. The name ETISA was conceived from the surrounding environment. The first part of the name ETI stands for Etinde which is that part of Mount Cameroon found in Limbe. The second part of the name stands for sand. So the full meaning is simply Etinde Sands.

As a retired person how do you make up for your passion in fishery?
 
Alongside Ecotourism I also do a lot in the promotion of Aquaculture. With a group of former colleagues of the United Nations we have created an association which is focused on the prompotion of Aquaculture. We constantly come together to take a critical look at the things that we are doing. As for me I deal in fish destined for human consumption. I have a number of  fish ponds or basins which are found on the sea shore while some of my ponds are found on the slopes of Mount Etinde where we are carrying out the same activity but in a completely different environment. Since the soil in Limbe is volcanic and doesn't hold water, we are obliged to use fish ponds made either from concrete which is pretty expensive or man made basins which is much more affordable and easier to controle. Aquaculture in Cameroon suffers generally from problems related to the nursery or the propagation of fingerlings. There is also the problem of water which we have solved by capturing water from some rivulets in Limbe. We have equally made some bore holes to tackle the water problem. The third problem that we have in Aquaculture is that of fish feed. It is an uphill task and I think we should look for means to bring down the price of fish feed. Imported fish feed costs between 1500 and 2000 FCFA. So with colleagues we are working on means to produce fish feed from local products. The Ministry of Livestock, Fishery and Animal Husbandary is stepping up efforts in this direction with an intention of creating fish feed factory in Fumban. If this is done it will be a welcomed relief. It is only in this way that aquaculture will really take off in Cameroon. Now Cameroon produces only  1000 tons of fish annually from Aquaculture and imports more than 150.000 tons annually.
What do you think is the future of this sector.

I think the Ministry is better placed to answer that question but when I was still working with the Ministry, there were a couple of questions like the problem of organisation of the fish sector  and that of stream lining the supply chain of fish to consumers. This probblem of the provision of fish to consumers can only be solved if there is complete organisation of the sector at the level of the sea as well as in the hinterland.For things to work all fishing related activities should be well structured .

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"Fishing in Cameroon is still dominated by foreigners" -Director , IRAD Station Batoke, Limbe

Who precisely is Doctor Ngegim Jule?

I'm a researcher at the institute of the Agricultural Research for Developement and IRAD 22 Avrile ago, I function as Head of IRAD station in Limbe Batoke specialized on marine science and aqua-culture. I hold a PhD in ecology and many Masters so a Masters in Ecology and another on the management of coastal risks with reference to natural hazards and man-made hazards. I am also an engineer specialised on Waters and Forests from the Dschang University, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Science.

 You have a lot of experience in this sector and The IRAD station at Batoke will certainly benefit from it.

 My professional experience is quite diverse. I was fortunate to have such superiors as Dr. Jean Folack , Dr. Oumarou, Dr. Yombi,Professor Bernard Hira in Paris and many others who have tried to guide my steps in the world of research . Thus with UNESCO and FAO I put in 5 to 6 years monitoring marine areas along the coast of Cameroon.
You know the marine environments are exposed to various forms of polutions.Diverse forms of marine exploitation results deposits and other debris. These may include, the petroleum exploitation and other exploration operations in marine environments. The fisherman's nets among other types of solid and liquid poluants coming from the mainland constitute some of the problems of the marine environment.For 2 years I was the National coordinator of the project known in French as "Marin Torture" .You know in the world, there are eight species of  the turltle. There are six species which frequent the Atlantic Ocean and out of these, 4 are found in the Cameroon waters. Among the four that are found in Cameroon waters is found one of the biggest turtles in the world. Among these 4 species 2 lay their eggs on Cameroonian beaches.The beaches around Limbe within the Bakingili vicinity are very rich egg laying sites.The beaches of Kribi are also very rich in turtles.


You have just been installed. Can we know your plan of action?

In my capacity as the director of IRAD Batoke, the stakes are high and there is much work to be done. Firstly when you arrive at a new station you should always try to sustain projects that were realised before you came because the people you replace have much experience with the many projects that they have carried out. Their projects should be sustained and innovated rather than discarded. 
The sustainability of these projects is aimed at producing fingerlings of top quality.You know that Cameroon exports a large amount of fish and this is not healthy as we can't even meet up with our local demand. We can only contribute to socio-economic development if we can ensure that the research results obtained is  concretised through the actions of the government. Thus quality fingerlings from IRAD Batoke should be able to supply the young people who want to get intothe activity of fish production and businessmen who want to get into this kind of activity. This will in turn create jobs,create new incomes avenues and increase the national fish production.  

 Let's talk about the quality of marine environments.

 You will agree with me that  people who live along the coast of Cameroon live from resources in marine environments. It is our duty to ensure the quality of these environments. Always alerte when polution occours so that immediate solutions are put in place. IRAD Batoke is a small entity of IRAD's big machine that is driving agricultural research in Cameroon. We respect road maps defined by hirarchy to ensure that research can contribute to the emergence of Cameroon in 2035 

 Shed light on the area of fishing in Cameroon.

Fishing is a very promising sector. Cameroon still has a long way to go as other countries such as Ghana and the Ivory Coast have an advantage over Cameroon. Cameroonian Authorities saw the necessity to make the marine areas contribute much more significantly to socio-economic development of Cameroon. Fishing in Cameroon is still dominated by Nigerians, Malians and Ghanaian among others. There is still a fairly strong exportation of fish and we dont yet satisfy our interior demand. The whole thing is about encouraging young cameroonians into this sector. Fortunately, we have institutions and universities that have been created in Cameroon like the Yabasi Institute of Marine Science that trains students in the different domains of marine science.

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