Migrant fishermen and their social life in Londji Plage, Southern Cameroon

Abstract

I studied migrant fishermen and their social life in Londji Plage in South of Cameroon. It was to analyze how migrant fishermen integrated the life, how the commercialization of fish is organized, the migrant’s careers, the role of canoe owner’s wives and fishermen’s wives in the economy and the relation between migrant and state bureaucracy. The fishing activity is completely modernized by Nigerian fishermen; they brought new canoes, nets and out board motors. Canoe owners and fishermen are always in conflict, canoe owners accuse fishermen to steal the catch as we see in the film and fishermen also are complaining about the relation between canoe owners and buyers. It is a personal conflict between them. There are differentiation between Nigerians and fishermen from the North in their careers. Nigerians fishermen have an advantage to be canoe owners by inheritance and replacement in the fishing activity. Fishing is a way of livelihood for Nigerian migrant fishermen and has being their occupation for generations. It is difficult for fishermen from the North to be canoe owners because most of them become fishermen in Londji Plage but Hassan is one of the migrants from the North who has a canoe. Northerners can be canoe owners by saving money and collecting the fishing equipment. To integrate the local community migrant fishermen also use interethnic marriage. The wives of canoe owners and fishermen are also involved in the commercialization of fish particularly smoked fish, roasted fish and fried fish. They contribute to the economy of the family and household. In spite of their integration in the life, migrant fishermen from Nigeria are threatened by the police and they have to pay the resident permit each year. But to get access to the fish resource they negotiate with the representative of Minepia and the transaction is beneficial to each other. Keywords: Migrant, fishermen, social field, actors, fishing activity.