Partners:   MINEPIA and EJF  

Expected start date:   August 2025 

Type of contract:   Full-time, 1 fixed term  

Location:   Yaounde, Cameroon  

Deadline:   30 June, 2025 

BACKGROUND  

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the most serious threats to the sustainable exploitation of the sea. It also represents a major hazard to the marine environment. Cameroon is one of the African countries with the highest incidences of IUU fishing practices, which happens to be the most significant threat causing depletion of fish stocks, destruction of marine biodiversity through overfishing, hence leading to an important economic loss. The leading causes of IUU fishing in Cameroon's fisheries include:  

- The non-alignment of fishery legislation with international laws  

- Insufficient collaboration between the administrations involved in fisheries management   

- A weak Monitoring, Control, l and Surveillance (MCS) system  

Cameroon does not have proper control of fishing activities happening under its flag. This led to the issuance of a "yellow card" by the European Commission of the European Union in February 2021.  

In this regard, the Cameroon government demonstrated a strong willingness to remediate the European Commission’s warning and to improve the management of its fisheries.  African Marine Conservation Organisation (AMCO) has requested to partner with the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA) and the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) to initiate the following the « Supporting Cameroon’s Government effort to improve fishery management and stopping Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing » project.  

AMCO, through this project, strives to combat IUU fishing in Cameroon through supporting the Government’s efforts to enhance the fishery governance, legal framework, and control systems, and to contribute to the sustainable management of aquatic resources. More specifically, this AMMCO and its partners, through this project, will:  

- Enable Cameroon to meet the global transparency requirements and higher international fisheries governance standards, and revise the current fishery and aquaculture legislation.  

- Reinforce the fishery monitoring and control system and elaborate a fishery management plan.   

 Beyond the project, AMCO is keen to extend its scope of action in the fight against IUU fishing. In this context, the organisation is looking for a person who will be in charge of coordinating the above-mentioned project, as well as seeking new work opportunities to optimise its impact on the Cameroonian and subregional scale in the field of IUU fishing. 

JOB DESCRIPTION  

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:  

Under the direct supervision of the Program Manager of AMCO, the IUU Fishing Program Manager will act as the lead of the « Supporting Cameroon’s Government effort to improve fishery management and stopping Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing » project and be responsible for overall coordination and implementation of the activities between the grantee, sub-grantees, and the partners (AMCO, MINEPIA and EJF) of the project as well as develop the IUU Fishing cluster in the broadest sense by contributing to the development of new opportunities for the department, based on identified needs. 

RESPONSABILITIES 

PROJECTS IMPLEMENTATION:  

- Oversee and coordinate the implementation of activities of the IUU fishing projects 

- Plan and organise consultation meetings with the sub-grantees and the partners of the project.  

- Plan field assessments and lead the field assessments to ensure quality control of the field activities.  

- Manage and oversee project staff and consultants' work, ensuring the quality of their reports meets the agreed standard.  

- Coordinate with the donors, executive partners for the execution of the project activities in accordance with the agreed project work plan/timelines.  

BUDGET MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING:  

- Prepare budgets for project deliverables, review and track project expenditures and manage project expenses in accordance with the project budget.  

- Prepare financial reports in consultation with the project's supervisor for sharing with the donors and stakeholders as appropriate.  

- Track physical and financial performance of the project on implementation and timely report to the project partners on all aspects of the project.  

- Prepare the technical progress and final report for submission to the donors.  

NETWORKING AND REPRESENTATION:  

- Maintain coordination with FAO and other stakeholders working on the fishery sector. 

- Collaborate with local and national authorities to promote sustainable marine resource management policies. 

- Participate in networks and coalitions to strengthen the fight against IUU fishing. 

MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 

- Evaluate the impact of actions carried out and propose recommendations for improving strategies to combat IUU fishing. 

- Draft activity reports and summary documents for partners and donors. 

FUNDRAISING 

- Identify opportunities with donors for future up-scaling of the program, including organising meetings with potential new supporters with the President as appropriate.  

- Write project proposals. 

COMMUNICATION 

- Organise workshops, seminars and awareness campaigns for fishermen, decision-makers and the general public. 

- Contribute to the development of networks of journalists specialising in IUU fishing, and encourage them to communicate frequently on the subject 

- Write peer-reviewed scientific articles and journal articles 

REQUIREMENTS  

FORMAL/ ACADEMIC EDUCATION:   

- Master’s degree in aquatic sciences, fisheries, maritime law, environmental sciences, or related fields.  

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:  

- Minimum of 3 years of experience in project implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of fishery projects.  

- A clear idea of the functioning of the Fishery sector in Cameroon and its challenges.  

- Versed with national and international regulations and policies governing the Fishery sector in Cameroon.  

- Strong reporting skills and experience with donors/government-funded projects.  

- Proactive, adaptive, and entrepreneurial self-starter who can anticipate bottlenecks, solve problems, and focus on results.  

- Strong analytical and policy advocacy skills.  

- Strong communications, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.  

- Build open, communicative, and collaborative relationships with colleagues at all levels, skilled liaison for internal and external relationships.  

- Excellent written and spoken French and English.  

LANGUAGE SKILLS:   

- Strong written and verbal communication skills; excellent written and spoken English. Understanding of the local languages of Cameroon is preferable.   

APPLICATIONS  

- To apply, please email a CV and cover letter (maximum 2 pages) detailing how you match the job description and personal requirements to info@ammco.org.   

- Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews. - If you need help or have queries, please contact info@ammco.org.