Abstract

In Cameroon, crayfish trading yields an estimate yearly production of 365 tons from industrial and 60 tons from artisanal fishing which adds around 2.5million euro to the G.D.P of the country. Also, this sector employs about 1500 people and provides affordable and healthy food for large areas of the Cameroon’s population. Unfortunately, this sector poses serious threat to the mangrove ecosystem.

As a result, this study seeks to analyze the impact of crayfish production on mangroves degradation around coastal communities in Limbe. A survey of 10% of the population with 50 respondents (28 male and 22 female) were randomly selected. The data gotten from the questionnaires, focus group discussion were coded with the use of statistical package for social science software (S.P.S.S) version 20 and descriptive statistics were used to describe, explain and analyze the context of the subject matter under investigation.

Chi-square and Crammer’s V were used to verify the hypothesis of the study. The findings reveal that most of the participant involved in cray production were male between the age 20-30years, especially in the crayfish harvesting domain.

Also, from the findings it can be said that most of crayfish farmers around limbe municipality do harvest their crayfish two(2) times a day. Further findings revealed that a good proportion of the sampled individuals mostly women  preferred using fresh mangroves as a source of energy  due to their flammable nature and their ability to give the crayfish good taste.

The study also found out that most of the waste generated during the harvesting and the transformational activities were poorly disposed into the nearby mangrove zones and  streams which eventually leds to pollution as well as floods which occurs as a result of the degradation of mangrove located at the shoreline. Therefore, it can be concluded that crayfish production has a severe impact on mangrove degradation around the coastal communities of Limbe.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The rising international demand for sea product such crayfish has caused the rapid degradation of mangrove ecosystem worldwide. It is estimated that 25% of this degradation is caused by crayfish farming. The harvesting of crayfish entails farmers harvesting of crayfish using canoes, traps, baits which are made of mangrove (Center for Environment Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), 2007). Use of baits is the most reliable method for harvesting crayfish (CEHRD, 2007).

Mangrove ecosystem provides a wide variety of ecosystem services which are categorized as regulating services (air and water quality erosion, natural hazard mitigation, carbon sequestration), provisioning services (fish, biomass, crayfish etc.), cultural services (recreation and tourism) and supporting services (formation of soil that has ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere); (Ramsar Convention on Wetland, 2018).

But Globally, mangrove forests are the most threatened tropical ecosystem and are being degraded and depleted at alarming rates (Polidoro et al, 2010). Population pressure also causes mangrove degradation in unprotected areas especially around settlement, villages and towns where poverty and land issues force people to move onto any open land they can (ENVI-REP Cameroon, 2010). Other accelerating factors in mangrove degradation have been the modernization of wood cutting equipment particularly the introduction of chain saws and the greater availability of Pirogues powered by Outboard engines which enable easier access to the mangrove stands (Din & Blasco, 2003).

Resources renewal is also threatened as long-term conservation plan are not in operation in most areas and little or nothing is being done to address the over consumption of this resource. The over exploitation of mangrove also ensures the sustainability of fish smoking activities.

This happens on 2 levels: one is compromised and the other is that mangrove are an important habitat for breeding the halieutic resources and its loss is resulting in decreasing food stocks (Food and Agricultural Organization, 2007). Effective mangrove conservation measures thus need urgently to be employed to avoid both socio-economic and ecological disasters.

According to United Nation Environmental Program (2014), every year, approximately 1% of the world’s mangrove are lost mostly due to human practices like aquaculture, overfishing, landuse change and coastal development. Also, the Ramsar Convention’s Global Wetlands Outlook 2018 report found out that, natural coastal and inland mangrove are declining three (3) times faster than the rate of forest ecosystem globally with 35% lost since 1970.

In Africa, which is a technologically backwards continent with some few exemptions such as South Africa, Egypt etc. are noted for their high agricultural activities as well as shortages of source protein has led to more pressure on the water resources and mangrove ecosystem in search of crayfish, fish is due to the lack of proper infrastructural and inadequate skill in the production process. As a result, the mangrove ecosystem is experiencing serious threat which is being mounted by human activities in other to make ends meet. (Welcomme, 1976).

In Cameroon, crayfish trading yields an estimated yearly production of 365 tons from industrial and 60 tons from artisanal fishing which adds around 2.5million Euro to the G.D.P of the country. Also, this sector employs about 1500 people and provides affordable and healthy food for large areas of the county’s population (FISH4ACP reports, 2021). Unfortunately, this sector poses serious to the mangrove forests which covers approximately 250,000 hectares and are among the most extensive stands in African (Angoni et al, 2015).

Crayfish and fishing camps have been widely established throughout them, and mangrove wood is harvested for many purposes but most notably as essential source of energy for smoking of crayfish. As most coastal communities do not have electricity, the local people use smoking as a way of processing crayfish, fish etc. this has been a common method for preserving meat and fish for millennia in many parts of the world (Kone, 2008).

Because of population pressure, this ancient technique of processing and preservation consumes greater quantities of mangrove wood each year and is having a progressive detrimental impact on mangrove forest sustainability. The conservation of mangrove ecosystem is thus becoming an increasingly urgent topic (Tiega & Ouédraogo, 2012). Mangrove are important not only for the needs of local population but because they have a significant influence of climate change as they sequester 5 to 6 times more carbon than conventional forest (Bilé, 2012).

Also, Cameroon which is a third world country or developing nation, 18% of the mangrove ecosystem was lost between 2000 and 2010 with mangrove degradation reaching 90% in some areas around Limbe, Douala and Tiko. As a result of poor crayfish processing methods, unplanned landuses and coastal development (United Nation Environmental Programme, 2014). At this rate, mangrove ecosystem could disappear from the earth entirely by 2100 if urgent and appropriate actions are not implemented (Ricavite et al, 2017).

Despite their evident ecological and the fact that they constitute an important source of income for surrounding coastal communities, there is a lack of mangrove protection measures in many tropical regions (Spanink & Beukering, 1997). It is now widely recognized that conservation legislation is of fundamental importance to successful mangrove management system (Van Laveieren et al 2012 cited in Z. N. Feka, 2015).

In Cameroon, while there are mangrove protection laws, their implementation has not been effective (Din et al, 2017). The result is that, mangrove forest continues to be depleted at an uncontrolled rate. In just 10 years, national territory mangrove forest in Cameroon have decreased from 250,000hectares to 134,400hectares (Food and Agricultural Organization, 2007; Hamilton & Casey, 2016). This is more than 11,000hectares lost per year, which equals 40% of the total area of mangrove forest every year.

In the South West Region of the country, pressure on the woody resources such as mangrove is particularly extreme. Based on all the above facts, I strongly believe there is an urgent need to analyze the implication or impact of crayfish production on mangrove degradation around Limbe. This is in other to bring forth other innovative crayfish processing methods and implement capacity building programs to create awareness so as to conserve, restore and sustainably manage mangrove ecosystem for an effective feasible solution to the loss of biodiversity as well as mitigating climate change.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Mangrove ecosystems provides numerous services to the Ocean, coastal environment some which includes: their roots filters nitrates, phosphate, and other pollutants from the water. This thereby, improves water quality from rivers and streams into the estuarine and Ocean environment. Also, they help to capture massive amounts of carbon dioxide emission and other gases from the atmosphere, and then traps and store them in their carbon-rich flooded soil millennia. (Dierberg and Kiatisimkul ,1996).

This buried carbon (blue carbon) is stored under water in coastal ecosystem like mangroves. Unfortunately, there are many challenges that place mangrove ecosystem under threat. Human Impact such as harvesting of mangrove for source of energy for the processing of fish, crayfish and water pollution from herbicides and development has led to mangrove erosion and habitat destruction. (Ronnback,1999).

When the mangrove forests are cleared and destroyed, they release massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. There is therefore a need to supply the local population with adequate knowledge, skills and techniques in other to participate in mangrove restoration and shoreline protection in other to reduce mangrove ecosystems degradation.

1.3 Research Objective

1.3.1 Main Research Objective

To analyze the impact of crayfish production on mangrove degradation around coastal communities in Limbe.

1.3.2 Specific Research Objectives

1. To examine the share or contribution of mangrove product in the crayfish production
2. To analyze how fishing activities have affected the mangrove ecosystem and their consequences.
3. To assess the level of degradation in the mangrove ecosystem.
4. To analyze the various material processes involved in crayfish production.

Read More: Geography Project Topics with Materials