A Report on the Cameroon Fishery and Livelihood Sustainability Survey (CAMFISHLIST)

A Report on the Cameroon Fishery and Livelihood Sustainability Survey (CAMFISHLIST) | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Report on the Cameroon Fishery and Livelihood Sustainability Survey (CAMFISHLIST) Muhamadu Awal Kindzeka Wirajing, Roger Tsafack Nanfosso, Armand Mboutchouang Kountchou, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8162229/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This report presents the findings of a large-scale household survey conducted across 25 fishing communities in Cameroon, which aims to assess the activities of the fishery sector and their role in enhancing livelihood sustainability. A total of 511 artisanal fishermen and fish farmers were surveyed across eight regions using structured questionnaires and field interviews. The study explores multiple dimensions of sustainability, including food security, health performance, household resilience to shocks, and environmental sustainability. Findings reveal that 56.2% of households are food secure, while 43.8% experience varying levels of food insecurity. The CMP ordered probit regression findings further reveal that fishery activities enhance their food security status and health performance. In terms of health, over 33% of households reported poor or uncomfortable health conditions, with 16% indicating excellent health. The average household income from fishery sales is notably higher among marine fishermen, with annual revenues exceeding 7 million FCFA for about 38% of respondents. Despite this economic contribution, only 9% of households are members of fishery cooperatives, and fewer than half have received any formal training, highlighting significant gaps in social and human capital. Furthermore, 56% of respondents report witnessing a decline in fish species, signalling environmental degradation and unsustainable fishing practices. The report also identifies substantial participation of immigrants and internally displaced persons in the sector, making it a key livelihood option in the context of regional conflict and food insecurity. Overall, the study provides empirical insights that are critical for policy formulation aimed at improving sustainable fisheries management, enhancing rural livelihoods, and supporting vulnerable populations. The findings have broader relevance for developing countries with similar socio-ecological contexts. Agricultural Economics & Policy Aquaculture and Mariculture Food Science & Technology Ecological Modeling Environmental Policy Microeconomics Environmental Economics Health Economics & Outcomes Research Econometrics Cameroon fisheries Livelihood Sustainability Survey report Immigrants Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8162229","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":547991078,"identity":"428993d8-2c5d-4f80-bc1f-3f88c125c7d1","order_by":0,"name":"Muhamadu Awal Kindzeka Wirajing","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABEklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACZiCWMACxeCBcfhCVUECKFskGkBYDouyDajE4AKLxaDE4zvvwg0XBHbu1M3IPfrpRY524+fzqxA8PDBjk+cUOYNdymN1YQsLgWfK2G3nJ0jnH0hO33Xi7WQLoMMOZsxOwajE7zMYA1HI42exGjoF0DtthoJazG0BaEgxu49TC/AOqxfh3zr/DiZtnnN38g4AWNpAtdkAtZtK5bYcTN/D3bsNriz1QiwVQS4LZmTdm1rl96cYzbvBus0gwkMDpF8n+Y8y3Jf4ctjc7nmN8O+ebtWx//9nNN39U2MjzS2PXAgLMEgwMiQ1wrgRYpQRO5SDA+AHoQASX/wBe1aNgFIyCUTDyAABZ52KNr+KH+AAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6151-4417","institution":"University of Dschang, Cameroon","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Muhamadu","middleName":"Awal Kindzeka","lastName":"Wirajing","suffix":""},{"id":547991079,"identity":"1ff114d7-1cbd-41d2-9a5a-f88a42578169","order_by":1,"name":"Roger Tsafack Nanfosso","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Dschang, Cameroon","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Roger","middleName":"Tsafack","lastName":"Nanfosso","suffix":""},{"id":547991080,"identity":"3f3673a0-af70-499a-aa91-a910fb653716","order_by":2,"name":"Armand Mboutchouang Kountchou","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Dschang, cameroon","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Armand","middleName":"Mboutchouang","lastName":"Kountchou","suffix":""},{"id":547991081,"identity":"e6b2df50-7453-4cb1-871a-a9ac2dd8fc7f","order_by":3,"name":"Ali Haruna","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Dschang, Cameroon","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ali","middleName":"","lastName":"Haruna","suffix":""},{"id":547991082,"identity":"5d84f650-fe2c-4c9f-86b1-55cf28528029","order_by":4,"name":"Alang Ernest Wung","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Dschang","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alang","middleName":"Ernest","lastName":"Wung","suffix":""},{"id":547991083,"identity":"f091eef0-7d81-472b-b387-72f61a67ca77","order_by":5,"name":"Wirajing Abdu Samad Fondzenyuy","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Buea","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wirajing","middleName":"Abdu Samad","lastName":"Fondzenyuy","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-11-20 08:36:55","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":true,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8162229/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8162229/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":96602790,"identity":"e62e2816-a2ee-49c0-a7a2-72d49b60e44b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:01:47","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":463867,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Reportmanuscript.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/1b457e4d43758445b7238fec.docx"},{"id":96461834,"identity":"96d94c04-b5b0-4a03-b17e-898f7db02aee","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:49","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":342,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"rs8162229.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/e226a16dc1ee41bea75053c1.json"},{"id":96603449,"identity":"a859d797-e096-4e60-93ca-b8eb9a2fa1ee","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:09:19","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":394077,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"rs81622290enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/a54bd2428ec57bd9fca4cc86.xml"},{"id":96461839,"identity":"a2052e5e-6dca-4164-a997-7959b59ed104","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:49","extension":"jpeg","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":46198,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/6f0010ccc3b3a1500b422660.jpeg"},{"id":96461835,"identity":"a5dcfa9b-054f-4f0d-b3b1-1603ea8207a3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:49","extension":"emf","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":5704,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage10.emf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/05acfcc50c41e6981cf98ea5.emf"},{"id":96603364,"identity":"e21dcd53-23ad-4ee3-b50d-21db3f3744f0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:08:35","extension":"emf","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":18264,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage11.emf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/458c5280262d0bc030dbca4f.emf"},{"id":96603706,"identity":"a23c2e70-67f4-45f4-a912-67c6352dccc2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:11:11","extension":"emf","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":82920,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage12.emf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/084c6bfc935b2b8a28d10944.emf"},{"id":96461838,"identity":"a2dc57c6-ec0d-41c2-94c7-49bbe2cfc678","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:49","extension":"emf","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":99932,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage13.emf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/f21df9fe5f011265fddb08a6.emf"},{"id":96461843,"identity":"4dff5a14-f952-4e88-9340-731a45e90cfd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:49","extension":"emf","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":4848,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage14.emf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/e7877e72e2fe62105836ccae.emf"},{"id":96461849,"identity":"caeedaa0-7300-4874-9e49-d4cc4bc1d604","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"jpeg","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":164553,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/99342b5d2290dda7c6eb6550.jpeg"},{"id":96461840,"identity":"fdf985b5-6741-44e9-af7a-965900f452ae","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:49","extension":"jpeg","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":103042,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/2a094f2e2add510b21328b7e.jpeg"},{"id":96603502,"identity":"df634826-b63a-44e4-b267-1757be58e1af","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:09:37","extension":"jpeg","order_by":12,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":55377,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/9250db2f8eac1f5ebd1c0857.jpeg"},{"id":96461847,"identity":"1b77f50e-18c5-4f8c-b840-84ae6f075443","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:49","extension":"jpeg","order_by":13,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":78764,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage5.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/6bfd2c3b2799c6696c23a163.jpeg"},{"id":96603386,"identity":"1da91156-dedc-4d30-84f9-d079373bf218","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:08:54","extension":"jpeg","order_by":14,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":66358,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage6.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/252a61c87c4bbaf96edfabcc.jpeg"},{"id":96461845,"identity":"d3991fa3-1ccd-4cf9-9654-ff3fe8065660","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:49","extension":"jpeg","order_by":15,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":21863,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage7.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/e94d471159965ee09e19dd6e.jpeg"},{"id":96603108,"identity":"3ce482ce-68ec-495a-8a55-1cf66d253039","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:06:55","extension":"png","order_by":16,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":96390,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/e99f345dae3f758746b68913.png"},{"id":96603187,"identity":"e0727916-283c-43bc-8275-648509f30f8d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:07:22","extension":"emf","order_by":17,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":193960,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage9.emf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/865d3b701d39551ce827eeb5.emf"},{"id":96461852,"identity":"3be108c9-0c30-4615-b18f-2e2cd46e3907","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"png","order_by":18,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":7855,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/f367c93d2865e4778035fadd.png"},{"id":96603022,"identity":"60a44079-28c2-4e7e-8234-90f61cc0bc22","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:06:07","extension":"png","order_by":19,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":23957,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/92fa6f49b63a16d653c9fa7a.png"},{"id":96461865,"identity":"0e44dd3a-107c-4f2a-bce3-49b657aaf36f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"png","order_by":20,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":111007,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage11.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/4a5dcadb1bc53f05a9afd35e.png"},{"id":96461862,"identity":"2fd2f606-2003-404c-b2ba-66447ea3d01c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"png","order_by":21,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":118296,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage12.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/178d6daa5f93dac87d1036ba.png"},{"id":96602908,"identity":"42f5c037-d62b-49ad-9343-54128c995ffa","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:04:34","extension":"png","order_by":22,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":31635,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage13.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/01548e2c17f3bbe492d20b2e.png"},{"id":96461858,"identity":"919e311c-5a31-47e7-ad58-e7add03360bf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"png","order_by":23,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":20028,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage14.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/cb8c5be6b0f597510d959020.png"},{"id":96461856,"identity":"da84582b-3ce9-4664-89d7-41950ec92921","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"png","order_by":24,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":22005,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/307e0b45a6e12c10857be331.png"},{"id":96603003,"identity":"c5c842c1-3609-47f8-bb5d-52d3aa656d72","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:05:58","extension":"png","order_by":25,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":14795,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/62145cfeb25f42da9a53b8ea.png"},{"id":96603134,"identity":"ea4a1287-0f64-4429-9ca2-71e5b564a911","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:07:07","extension":"png","order_by":26,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":8195,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/e3acdc4ad8029c2d46e15384.png"},{"id":96461854,"identity":"34e6407b-15e5-4a54-bdbd-b9fc62359d6a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"png","order_by":27,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":11587,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/64cb9e6941dcc626f32de973.png"},{"id":96461859,"identity":"442a3626-b5b7-471b-9399-8a8e9b2207ee","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"png","order_by":28,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":7810,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/5624dd786a9103b46d33aa4f.png"},{"id":96461861,"identity":"0adae98d-99ab-4480-a549-0f0486b2429c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"png","order_by":29,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":1585,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/a9af273fe0d1d1c5990465fd.png"},{"id":96461860,"identity":"84dfc428-78d0-456d-9538-a92ffec1d255","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"png","order_by":30,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":27329,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/250f9547ea56324709f253c5.png"},{"id":96603372,"identity":"5c3ddd49-ac9b-416f-b817-63a60710b1b4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:08:39","extension":"png","order_by":31,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":234365,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/6587e7281b1e485343a1102c.png"},{"id":96461866,"identity":"e5e30d14-4486-48d7-b632-a8f974cf8ca7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"xml","order_by":32,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":388130,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"rs81622290structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/5a5f8853086ee6fc8c387f72.xml"},{"id":96461863,"identity":"dbfe6887-766f-4cc8-9f59-4a4624252009","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:24:50","extension":"html","order_by":33,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":429630,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1/798f699ba1707c193b6e77b2.html"},{"id":96607683,"identity":"d31a2f4e-5065-4a56-ba8d-cad0958dc3c2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:27:29","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1295807,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Reportmanuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8162229/v1_covered_e0c9d992-f9e4-4e79-acf9-6ef203e860c1.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Report on the Cameroon Fishery and Livelihood Sustainability Survey (CAMFISHLIST)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cameroon fisheries, Livelihood Sustainability, Survey report, Immigrants","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8162229/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8162229/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis report presents the findings of a large-scale household survey conducted across 25 fishing communities in Cameroon, which aims to assess the activities of the fishery sector and their role in enhancing livelihood sustainability. A total of 511 artisanal fishermen and fish farmers were surveyed across eight regions using structured questionnaires and field interviews. The study explores multiple dimensions of sustainability, including food security, health performance, household resilience to shocks, and environmental sustainability. Findings reveal that 56.2% of households are food secure, while 43.8% experience varying levels of food insecurity. The CMP ordered probit regression findings further reveal that fishery activities enhance their food security status and health performance. In terms of health, over 33% of households reported poor or uncomfortable health conditions, with 16% indicating excellent health. The average household income from fishery sales is notably higher among marine fishermen, with annual revenues exceeding 7 million FCFA for about 38% of respondents. Despite this economic contribution, only 9% of households are members of fishery cooperatives, and fewer than half have received any formal training, highlighting significant gaps in social and human capital. Furthermore, 56% of respondents report witnessing a decline in fish species, signalling environmental degradation and unsustainable fishing practices. The report also identifies substantial participation of immigrants and internally displaced persons in the sector, making it a key livelihood option in the context of regional conflict and food insecurity. Overall, the study provides empirical insights that are critical for policy formulation aimed at improving sustainable fisheries management, enhancing rural livelihoods, and supporting vulnerable populations. The findings have broader relevance for developing countries with similar socio-ecological contexts.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A Report on the Cameroon Fishery and Livelihood Sustainability Survey (CAMFISHLIST)","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-21 10:24:44","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8162229/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"2f7799c0-ba4c-45a3-a705-bf1a1d801d2e","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 21st, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":58304957,"name":"Agricultural Economics \u0026 Policy"},{"id":58304958,"name":"Aquaculture and Mariculture"},{"id":58304959,"name":"Food Science \u0026 Technology"},{"id":58304960,"name":"Ecological Modeling"},{"id":58304961,"name":"Environmental Policy"},{"id":58304962,"name":"Microeconomics"},{"id":58304963,"name":"Environmental Economics"},{"id":58304964,"name":"Health Economics \u0026 Outcomes Research"},{"id":58304965,"name":"Econometrics"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-21T10:24:45+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-21 10:24:44","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8162229","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8162229","identity":"rs-8162229","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}