Cameroon Sinks Fake Reef to Lure Fish
Date: 04-Aug-06
Country: CAMEROON
The water around the rock, not far from the port of Kribi, once teemed with fish and local fishing communities protested that their livelihoods have been threatened since it was destroyed four years ago.
The artificial reef, sunk 4 km (2.5 miles) offshore, consists of an old barge laden with concrete and adorned with used rubber tyres designed to provide an ideal breeding and feeding habitat for fish.
"We are responding to persistent complaints from local villagers who complain that since the rock was blown to make way for the pipeline, their catch has been dwindling," the Tribune quoted Prosper Nzali as saying on behalf of the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (COTCO).
Local people have been advised not to fish near the artificial reef until the populations have recovered.
The rock was blown up to make way for a US$4 billion, 1,070 km (665-mile) oil export pipeline built between oil fields in neighbouring Chad to an offshore export terminal some 12 km (8 miles) offshore near Kribi.