Contribution to the Fight Against Industrial IUU Fishing: Case Study on Manyange Na Elombo Campo Marine National Park for Sustainable Resource Governance

This study examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of industrial fishing in the Manyange na Elombo-Campo Marine National Park (PNMMNEC), a recently established marine protected area in Cameroon. To highlight the persistence of illegal fishing in this area despite its official protection since 2021, methodological tools and data sources such as Global Fishing Watch, Marine Traffic, fishing license records, and community reports were utilized. The main objective of the study is to assess the presence and fishing activity between 2018 and 2024, distinguishing between the periods before and after the park's establishment. The results indicate that there was a reduction in the total number of vessels following the establishment of the PNMMNEC, but a qualitative increase in the activities of industrial fishing vessels, notably with 37.8 days of fishing effort in 2021, 51.6 days in 2022, and 114 days in 2023.