Cameroon Opens Kribi Industrial Zone to Aquaculture Investors Under New Partnership

The Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA) and the Port Authority of Kribi (PAK) have signed a partnership agreement aimed at accelerating aquaculture development in the Kribi Port Industrial Zone (KPIZ), creating new opportunities for investment and supporting Cameroon’s strategy to reduce dependence on fish imports.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 2026 Interprofessional Aquaculture Exhibition (SIAC) at the Yaounde Multipurpose Sports Complex by the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Dr Taïga, and the Director General of the Port Authority of Kribi, Patrice Melom. The partnership seeks to provide the infrastructure and institutional support required to expand aquaculture production and strengthen the country’s fish value chain.

Under the agreement, PAK committed to identifying and allocating 10 plots within the Kribi Port Industrial Zone for investors and aquaculture operators. The port authority will also facilitate access to essential port services to enable businesses to establish and operate efficiently. The initiative is designed to support investors while structuring the growth of aquaculture as part of Cameroon’s import-substitution policy.

According to MINEPIA, the partnership comes as Cameroon intensifies efforts to improve food self-sufficiency and reduce its reliance on imported fish. Authorities say the agreement reflects a shared ambition to transform aquaculture into a modern and competitive industry capable of generating employment and contributing to territorial development.

Speaking ahead of SIAC 2026, Dr Taïga said the exhibition was intended to bring together fish producers, vendors, financial sector actors and other stakeholders to promote local fish production and innovation.

The minister said local production was already showing signs of progress and that the exhibition would provide an opportunity to showcase advances made in the sector.

“We must move very quickly. We must domesticate production because fish sells well and is widely consumed,” Dr Taïga said, stressing the importance of accelerating local output to meet growing demand.

The six-day exhibition, organised by the Interprofessional Organisation for the Development of Aquaculture in Cameroon (OIDAC) from 1 to 6 June, is being held under the theme: “Policies and strategies for aquaculture development in Cameroon as national levers for economic, social and technological territorial development.” Participants include stakeholders from Cameroon and several foreign countries, including Morocco and Egypt.

The event is taking place within the framework of the Integrated Agro-pastoral and Fisheries Import Substitution Plan (PIISAH), which prioritises fish and milk production. SIAC is expected to facilitate partnerships between producers and potential investors while highlighting business opportunities across the aquaculture value chain.

Government incentives aimed at attracting investment into the sector were also highlighted during preparations for the exhibition. These include customs duty exemptions on imported aquaculture equipment and the removal of value-added tax on certain investments.

“The government is putting in place facilities to encourage massive investment in this sector. Through the Cameroon SME Bank, CFAF 5 billion was made available in 2025, while CFAF 6.5 billion can be mobilised this year by producers to finance their activities,” Dr Taïga said.

For policymakers and industry stakeholders, the agreement signed between MINEPIA and PAK represents a concrete step towards linking industrial infrastructure, financing and production capacity as Cameroon seeks to expand domestic fish output and strengthen the economic contribution of aquaculture.

Mercy Fosoh