In anticipation of the end-of-year festive season, a period traditionally marked by a sharp surge in consumer demand for seafood, the Cameroonian Government has taken decisive measures to guarantee the availability of fish across the domestic market.
On Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Minister of Trade Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana chaired a strategic consultation meeting at the ministry’s headquarters in Yaounde. The session brought together sector representatives, local producers, and key operators across the import and distribution supply chain, including Senator Sylvestre Ngouchinghe, CEO of Congelcam.
Initiated following media reports regarding potential supply disruptions linked to import quota management, the meeting concluded constructively, establishing proactive steps to secure market stability.
Detailed market data presented by the Technical Adviser of the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries – MINEPIA highlighted the structural reliance of the national market on both local production and imports.
In 2025, local production reached approximately 259,000 metric tons against an annual national demand estimated at nearly 500,000 metric tons. To cover this deficit, MINEPIA allocated a total import volume of nearly 200,000 metric tons among 52 authorized operators for 2026.
Congelcam was granted 130,000 metric tons, representing roughly 66% of the total quota, based on its financial and logistical capacity. However, performance metrics revealed severe execution disparities, with 18 beneficiary operators failing to import any fish and most others executing only marginal volumes.
To prevent supply deficits and unmanageable price spikes during the holidays, Minister Mbarga Atangana requested that MINEPIA immediately reallocate unused quotas from underperforming operators to importers with proven capacity.
This measure, validated by MINEPIA and endorsed by meeting participants, effectively mitigates the risk of holiday fish shortages. Additionally, the Trade Minister urged MINEPIA and the Société Générale de Surveillance – SGS to streamline administrative procedures so that authorized shipments face no logistical bottlenecks at ports of entry, while calling on Congelcam to launch a reassuring public communication campaign to dispel consumer anxiety.
The consultation also provided a forum to reiterate the government’s broader import-substitution goals under the Integrated Agropastoral and Fisheries Import-Substitution Plan – PIISAH. Designed under presidential guidelines, the initiative enforces import restrictions on specific farmed species, such as tilapia and carp, to protect domestic aquaculture investments and diminish long-term foreign dependency.
Minister Mbarga Atangana encouraged local fish farmers to adopt an aggressive commercial strategy to capture market share, offering ministry backing to showcase domestic farmed fish across major supermarkets and promotional sales points.
The meeting delivered a clear signal of market stabilization and governmental oversight ahead of the high-consumption season. By combining immediate quota reallocation with long-term support for local producers, authorities have addressed both short-term supply fears and strategic economic goals.
The proactive alignment between regulatory bodies, major importers, and local suppliers provides assurance to Cameroonian households that affordable seafood will remain readily available throughout the upcoming celebrations.
