1. The Twelfth Session of the Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA) was held from 2 to 5 December 2002 at the Mont Febe Hotel, Yaoundé, Cameroon. Seventy-two delegates attended the Session from 21 Member countries, one non-member country (Mozambique), and by observers from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) and the International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM). The List of Delegates and Observers is presented in Appendix B.
2. The Opening ceremony was chaired by Mr Raphael Mapunda, Deputy Director of Fisheries, Tanzania, as Vice-Chairman.
3. Mr Benedict Satia, Chief, International Institutions and Liaison Service (FIPL), FAO, Rome, addressed the Session on behalf of Dr Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Mr Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General of the FAO Fisheries Department and Mr Anatolio NdongMba, Officer-in Charge of the FAO Regional Office for Africa. He thanked the Government of the Republic of Cameroon for hosting the Session, expressed appreciation for the warm hospitality extended to all the participants and the excellent facilities put at the disposal of the Secretariat.
4. Mr Satia recalled the decision of the Committee in Abuja, Nigeria in October 2000 to maintain the Sub-Committee on Lake Tanganyika, and invited the Committee to appraise the efforts made by the said Sub-Committee to become an intergovernmental organisation. He reminded the participants of the importance of water for inland fisheries and aquaculture, adding that water was becoming a limited resource and activities that relied on aquatic environments had the potential of developing competition between the various users including those involved in capture fisheries and aquaculture. Hence, the need for an African Water Resource Database (AWRD). He informed the participants that the database was being developed and improved by FAO to assist administrators and policy makers in formulating tools for responsible management of the inland water resources.
5. Mr Satia highlighted points of divergence and interaction between inland capture fisheries and aquaculture that could have positive or negative effects on activities conducted to improve food security and reduce poverty in the communities. As the two sub-sectors were important in several Sub-Saharan African countries, it was opportune for the interactions to be addressed to create an environment for them to benefit the CIFA member Countries and organizations involved in fisheries and/or aquaculture. He further informed the Committee that although the use of alien and genetically improved aquatic species was a proven method of increasing fishery production it was also recognized as one of the most significant threats to biodiversity in natural ecosystems. In this regard, the Committee would have to examine some codes of conduct on the introduction and transfer of genetically modified and/or exotic species.
6. In conclusion, he informed the Committee of the activities conducted by FAO and its partners on the promotion of commercial aquaculture that could serve as a catalyst for food security and poverty reduction in the region. He appealed to the Committee to examine the advantages, constraints and the possibilities of setting up commercial aquaculture ventures in the respective countries. Mr Satia assured the Committee that FAO will continue to assist the Members in their efforts to improve their Inland capture fisheries and aquaculture.
7. The Session was officially opened by Dr Hamadjoda Adjoudji, Honourable Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries. The Honourable Minister welcomed the participants on behalf of the Government of Cameroon and expressed his pleasure in addressing the first CIFA Session to be held in his country. He reminded the participants that they were in Yaoundé to jointly reflect on the ways and means of improving knowledge on the sub-sectors concerned. He believed that inland fisheries and aquaculture could contribute significantly to reducing poverty and creating employment in developing countries that have weak economies.
8. The Minister informed the participants of his country’s commitment to sub-regional, regional and international cooperation in managing fisheries resources. He outlined Cameroon’s network of rivers and reservoirs that offered a huge potential for increased fisheries and aquaculture production. This potential, he observed, could be tapped to improve further employment opportunities and food security through responsible exploitation, conservation and development of the fisheries resources. The Minister pointed out that the Cameroon Government had put in place the institutional framework to significantly increase the contribution of these Sub-sectors to food security.
9. The Minister outlined a number of constraints impeding the harmonious development of inland fisheries and aquaculture in CIFA Countries. He noted that although the level of inland fisheries and aquaculture development in CIFA countries was low, the continent had the experienced and qualified human resources to deal with its inland fisheries and aquaculture problems. He therefore exhorted the Committee to lay emphasis on cooperation and collaboration, as well as, the exchange of experiences to solve the constraints to the Sub-sectors.
