Used by fishermen in the Estuary (Libreville) for three years, the NEMO beacon is a device for monitoring canoes by geo-location which has many advantages.

Indeed, it allows fishermen to distinguish more easily the areas prohibited to fishing, to provide security assistance to fishermen through a system of transmission of alert messages in case of need (incidents, attacks, etc.), to control frequented fishing areas and canoe landing points. As for the administration, it will be able, among other things, to better monitor fishing areas.

If this device was welcomed with relief by the fishermen when it was presented, by Carol Boupana, head of the Fisheries Monitoring Center, because it will provide an appropriate response to most of the problems related to non-compliance by fishermen, of certain provisions of the fisheries regulations resulting in fines, seizure of equipment and sometimes imprisonment, its cost was deemed prohibitive.

Indeed, to equip each canoe, it will cost 290,000 CFA francs. What, according to the interested parties, at a time when it is a question of fighting against the high cost of living, could have an impact on the price of fish.

To which they were told that the real cost of this device is 586,670 francs; and that in order not to make fishermen bear such an amount, the Gabonese State subsidized customs clearance, hence the amount withheld. Moreover, a payment spread over two or three instalments can be obtained by the fisherman who requests it.

Arguments that left fishermen rather skeptical.

Photo: the poster of the awareness campaign for fishermen

Faithful AFANOU EDEMBE