Administration inspects the plants from time to time and on regular basis tests oily water samples prior to and after treatment
measure 24 metres and above, in length These twenty would be
required to meet the requirements of the TOREnMOLINOS Convention
on fishing vessels when Cameroon would have ratified the
Convention and when the Convention would have come into force.
Over 530 crews are regularly enployed to man the fishing vessels.
The onshore eitployees number approximately 354.
Industrial fishing therefore ertplqys nearly 884 people most
of vdicm are nationals.
The total catch for the period 1981/1982 was as follows: (18) ++
Fish - 22.648.224 kg
Prawns - 281.021 kg
During the same period 28.050.543 kg (2) of fish were iitported.
This is a clear indication that the catch was by far short of meeting
the local market demand. It also brings to light the fact that
fish consumption in Cameroon is pretty high. Fish consuitption is,
in effect, only rivaled by that of beef.
On the other hand, a large part of the prawns produced was
exported. The total exportation for 1981 and 1982 amounted to
398.202 kg. (19) ++
Looking at the fishing industry, fish consuitption, and fish
irrportation in Cameroon, it is not an exageration to say that
a major oil ^ill affecting the coast and major fishing grounds
will result in serious socio-econcmic problems.
The intention in this project is to give a broad outline of the
socio-economic inpact or effect on people without going into
monetary evaluation which is in itself difficult given the multi
facet nature of the problem.
For instance, the econotiic costs of an oil spill are not measured
simply by adding up the amount of money spent on the clean-up and
the assessment of property damage. It is much more than that. Ihe
costs must be measured as well in terms of opportunities vMch are
foregone plus decreases in the utility resulting- fran certain
damages. These foregone opportunities are an important part of the
real costs and damages of an oil spill and they can be very diverse
in nature. They include production lost vAien resources are trans
ferred to clean-up use, lost of leisure time, lost of recreation
values, reduced utilization and enjoyment of marine resoinrces, and
many other uses of the marine environment vhich would be precluded
for a period of time.
A major spill will result in some or all of the following
economic effects:
Balance of Payment Deficits
As earlier indicated, the amount of congelated inported fish
is nearly the same as that produced locally (1981/1982). A
sudden drop in the national production of fish will result in a
similar drop in the supply. To avoid severe shortages that may
call for price escalation, doubling of the quantity presently
being inported might prove indispensable. This inplies spending
more hard currency to the detriment of the Balance of Payments.
If at the same time prawn catch drops affecting export of same, it
would mean losing foreign exchange at the expense of the balance
of payment deficits.
Moreover, for clean-up and other more technical services, special
equipment and expertise would be sought for from abroad at fabulous
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ii) Uneraplqyinent;
A major spill will put the nearly 900 employees of the industrial
fishing and the approximately 30.000 self-eitployed artisanal fish
ermen out of jobs. Furthermore, fish dealers, fish transporters,
and other subsidiary industries depending on the local fishing
industry will also go jobless. All these will definitely result
in major social problems particularly if the situation persisted
for several months.
In Canada, it took over seven months to clean-up polluted
waters and beaches following the KURDISTAN disaster that ended
in the discharge of some 8000 tonnes of crude oil off the coast
of Nova Scotia. Although the cold weather conditions contributed
extensively to slowing down the clean-up processes (biodegradation,
photo-oxidation, etc.), a similar spill in the tropics and under
normal tropical weather conditions would have taken at least four
months, all other things being equal, to be effectively cleaned-
up.
iii) Losses and Damaged Property Ccmpensation;
This could be a major financial problems to the Government
^ particularly if the source of pollution is either unknown or the
polluter is insolvent. It would even be much worse if the country
is not yet a Party to any of the ccmpensation schemes precited.
*
iv) Environmental costs:As previously stated, no hard and fast facts have yet been
established on the long term effects of pollutants in general
and oil in particular on the marine living resources and on human
health.
118
By and large, findings through field and laboratory
biological experiments have proven beyond doubts that oil is dan
gerous to many fauna and flora, in the short term. The long term
effects of a contaminated marine environment to human health is
certainly damaging. These negative effects are costly. The exter
mination of vital marine species will result finally in the
breakage of the food chain causing a drop in the sustainable
yield of the commercial fish populations at the expense of
consumers and the national economy.
An unhealthy population will not only be less productive,
it will also cost the Government huge amounts of money to effec
tively run health services for such a population, to the expense of other high profile projects such as education, industriaLi^atiofT,
transport infrastructure, etc.
If a spill as described above occurred in Cameroon
during the yatching season (December to May), affecting beaches,
the tourist industry and recreational values will be subdued to
similar socio-economic problems as shown above.
Nonetheless, the above case is only hypothetical.
Nobody, in effect, would wish to experience in his life time a
nasty pollution casualty, but probabilities of such an occurence
are getting higher every new day in Cameroon. In a similar manner,
the cost of combating spills increases each day.
PART B;