Renewing an Industrial Fishing Licence in Cameroon

Renewing an Industrial Fishing Licence: In a bid to regulate and formalise fishing activities along the Cameroon coast, hundreds of industrial fishing licences are issued every year by Cameroon’s Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA), to industrial fishermen. Fishing without a fishing licence or with an expired licence is an offence in Cameroon and will incur significant financial remedy as provided for in Cameroonian fishing legal instruments. For procedures to obtain an industrial fishing licence read this article.

MINEPIA reserves the right to renewing industrial fishing licences of ship owners under its flag, when these licences expire. In this briefing, we are going to look at the procedures to renew an industrial fishing licence in Cameroon. If you have not yet gotten an industrial fishing licence, read our post on obtaining an industrial fishing licence in Cameroon.

What are the major legal instruments regulating the renewal of an industrial fishing licence in Cameroon?

Some legal instruments provide for renewing industrial fishing licences, relevant documents, and related fines in the event of a failure to renew one’s licence in Cameroon. Note that these regulations will come into play in the event of any conflict with another fishing counterpart, voluntary or involuntary non-respect of State regulations on industrial fishing, and use of environmentally unfriendly fishing efforts, or any other offence while fishing in Cameroonian water bodies. Such regulations include:

1. Law No. 94/01 of 20 January 1994 to laydown forestry, wildlife and fisheries regulations (This is the framework law regulating three wide fields – forestry, wildlife and fisheries. All other legal instruments in fisheries, which we have listed below, come into play to implement this framework law); 
2. Finance Law in force (This simply refers to the law on State expenses and budget for the current fiscal year. It influences prices of all goods and services in Cameroon, including licences);
3. Decree No. 2012/382 of 14 September 2012 to organise the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (This is a decree signed on 14 September 2012 to organise MINEPIA. It highlights among others, the duties of all the department in charge of fisheries);
4. Decree No. 95/413/PM of 20 June 1995 to lay down certain conditions for the application of the fisheries law (This law further applies the 1994 fisheries framework law);
5. Order No. 0010/MINEPIA of 24 April 1998 to lay down the procedures for health inspection and monitoring of production conditions for fishery products (Health inspectors patrol waterbodies to check fishery products caught);
6. Order No. 0011/MINEPIA of 24 April 1998 to laydown special conditions for processing establishments and packaging of fishery products intended for export;
7. Order No. 0012/MINEPIA of 24 April 1998 to laydown technical conditions applicable to fishing vessels;
8. Instruction No. 001/CAB/PM of 18 March 2010 to laydown administrative formalities for setting up enterprises in Cameroon (Since you are somehow setting up a fishery business, check this out).

Components of the application for renewing an industrial fishing licence in Cameroon

Cameroon’s MINEPIA has set out a list of documents to be enclosed with your application. These file components are same for juridical persons and individuals, once an industrial fishing approval has been granted.

1. An application stamped at the current rate;
2. An application stamped at the current rate;
3. copies of payment receipts for the licence fee at the time the industrial fishing licence was issued and of the health and veterinary inspection fee, as well as any other duties and taxes provided for by law or regulation;
4. certified true copy of the valid licence;
5. certificate from the regional head of the fisheries administrative body stating that the applicant has complied with all applicable legislation;
6. certificate of inspection;
7. landing certificate;
8. valid certificate of seaworthiness issued by the Minister responsible for Merchant shipping;

What are the conditions to be met before applying for an industrial fishing licence renewal in Cameroon?

According to Cameroon’s industrial fishing administrative body, the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA), before applying for an industrial fishing licence, the following two (2) conditions must be met:

1. compliance with regulations in force during the previous financial year
2. submission of the renewal application file at least two (02) months before the end of the financial year.

If you meet the aforementioned conditions, you are set to proceed with other formalities! You are eligible to submit an application to renew your industrial fishing licence. Now let us look at needed application documents in the following section.

Processing of applications to renew industrial fishing licence in Cameroon?

After compiling all the necessary documents, tender your application hierarchically via the relevant MINEPIA delegations to the Minister, in Yaoundé. When this application gets to Minister, they are forwarded to MINEPIA’s Service of Industrial Fishing at Mvog-betsi, Yaoundé, for processing.

Once in the Service of Industrial Fishing, the file components are checked for any irregularities, and they very compliance with the fisheries regulations in force, authenticity of certified documents, and veracity of the information provided in them. If all necessary file components are present and valid, an Approval is drafted and forwarded hierarchically to the Minister for signing.

All licences to carry out industrial fishing are signed by the Minister in charge of fisheries. This processing of renewal applications for industrial fishing licences averagely takes seven (07) days, after which they can be withdrawn following notification. A renewal of industrial fishing licence is issued as a ministerial Decision titled ‘Décision accordant renouvellement de la licence de pêche’ in French, translated as ‘Decision to renew fishing licence.’

FAQs on renewing an industrial fishing licence

Who initiates the procedure for renewing an industrial fishing licence in Cameroon?

The individual or legal ship owner/ boat owner aspiring to renew a licence is the initiator of the procedure.

Where should the compiled application for renewing an industrial fishing licence be submitted?

The compiled application file to renew an industrial fishing licence should be submitted at the closest relevant MINEPIA delegation. It will then be forwarded hierarchically to the Minister in charge of fisheries.

Who signs decision for renewing an industrial fishing licence in Cameroon?

An industrial fishing licence is signed by only the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA).

How long does it take for an industrial fishing licence to be issued after all needed documents have been submitted?

All file components being compliant, the application file will be processed. This processing averagely takes seven (07) days, after which it can be withdrawn following notification, at the MINEPIA mail service.

How many times can a ship owner renew a licence in Cameroon?

Once registered (flagged) under the Cameroon flag, a ship owner can renew its licences as often as they expire, provided the seagoing vessels comply with State regulations while fishing.

Where can one withdraw signed industrial fishing licences renewal documents?

All signed fishing licences can be withdrawn at MINEPIA’s mail service once they are issued.

What does an industrial fishing licence renewal document look like?

An industrial fishing licence renewal instrument is a Decision signed by the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA). It is titled ‘ Decision to renew industrial fishing licence.’

What is the cost to renew an industrial fishing licence in Cameroon?

Applying for an industrial fishing licence renewal will incur:

• document certification fees (a fiscal stamp costs 1,500 CFA francs as at now);
• inspection fees;
• receipt of payment of registration fees for your fishing company;

Apart from that, no extra fees are to be paid upon submitting your application file.