Potential Impact of Fish Smoking on Mangrove Resources in Southwest Cameroon

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to contribute to the sustainable management of mangrove forests in Cameroon through assessing the impact of fish smoking activities on mangrove resources. Mangrove wood is harvested by local communities for many purposes, but most notably as fuel for fish smoking. Population growth has greatly increased the pressure on these resources in recent years. Our study focused on fish smoking activities in Ndian and Fako, in the southwest region of Cameroon. Through structured and semistructured questionnaires, 243 fish smokers were interviewed in 9 local markets. Our study found that all the fish smokers were women from Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Benin. Ninety-three percent of our respondents purchase the wood they use, which is mainly red mangrove (Rhizophora racemosa). The quantity of wood consumed is governed not only by the amount of fish requiring smoking but also by the type of oven used. Per fish smoking session, a traditional oven takes 53 hr to smoke 528 kg of fish and consume 1,205 kg of wood at a cost of 50€. A modern cinderblock oven, on the other hand, requires only 5 hr to smoke 160 kg of fish and consumes 122 kg of wood at a cost of 10€. Cinderblock ovens are preferable both ecologically and economically and could be one of multiple solutions for the sustainable management of mangrove wood resources. However, interventions are necessary in order for fish smokers to become aware of the benefits of these improved cinderblock ovens.