Visionary Reports

Traders and households troop to the market as early as 5am to buy for marketing and home consumption respectively.

Smoked fish is one of the delicacies in most households as it is used in the preparation of most meals especially vegetables.    Finding good quality and quantity smoked fish is not a problem for most Douala inhabitants. Youpwe found in the Douala II sub division is readily providing this special category of fish within and without the littoral region.  At the Youpwe fish market there are varieties of smoked fish in all sizes, category and prices. There is a special place at the market where only smoked fish is sold. As near as it is to the sea, the smoked fish dealers at the Youpwe market buy directly from the fishermen and sometimes from other dealers in fresh fish known as the” buyam sellam”, which they further smoke and sell  in the same market. Buyers come from all over Cameroon and beyond and they buy from FCFA 500 to millions of FCFA.

At the market, the imposing section where smoked fish is sold cannot go unnoticed; tables are lined up from one shade to the other with smoked fish of all categories. As a clients approaches women selling fish beckon towards their table. When cornered, Patricia Moninnyame, who inherited the business from her mother said like other business they have their peak and low seasons. She said during the rainy season it is difficult to smoke fish. She uses a locally fabricated oven to smoke fish. “I always buy the fish directly from the fishermen of from the “buyam sellam” especially when market is bad on their part reasons why I sell cheap”.

Owing that fresh fish is sold just around the corner, she said bad market days for the fresh fish sellers are good days for them to buy cheaper and smoke. “When they can’t sell the fish, they always come and plead with us to buy of which we buy cheaper. This gives us enough reasons to as well sell the fish cheaper after smoking” she narrated. Eight medium size of sole fish also known as “canda planty” is sold at FCFA 5,000, five big bar fish is sold at FCFA7500, three big catfish also known as “machourong” is sold at FCFA 600, five big mullet is sold at FCFA 5,000,  and the list is long.

With proceeds from smoked fish, Patricia Moninnyame has been able to sponsor her four kids and keep her family going. She said the main source of protein in her home is fish either fresh or smoked. “I don’t cook meat in my house” she added.

Despite the boom in the smoked fish market, traders in smoked fish in the Youpwe market wallow in misery, as there is no comfortable space for them to sell. When it rains, narrated Nadia Bille, the whole place is filled with water. “There are days that we are unable to come to the market because of water”. She also explained that they lack storage and preservation facilities for the smoked fish. She decried that the oven they use to smoke the fish is locally fabricated and not up to standards.  She pleaded with the government to intervene and make their activity better.

By Gina ESONG

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“I eke my living from this Smoked Fish”

Patricia Moninnyame – Fish trader, Youpwe Market

 “I inherited the smoked fish business from my mother; she was in the business for over 30 years and was able to raise all of us from it. Today I am able to pay the fees of my four children as a result of this business. I can’t say am not living well because I am able to feed my family daily from proceeds I make from the business. Business is good but there are times that it is really bad as people hardly buy. Things got worst with the outbreak of the corona virus pandemic and with the rainy season, it’s not getting better as people don’t want to get soaked in water just to come and buy fish. But by the grace of God we are surviving. I have a locally fabricated oven that uses wood. We need storage and preservation facilities for our fish and our market is also in a sorry state.  I sell mostly smoked catfish, sole also known as ‘canda planty’, bar,  mullet, cover pot, Cray fish just to name a few”

By Gina ESONG