Priority aquaculture site · Adamaoua
Mbakaou reservoir lake · Score 87/100 · 231 Regal Springs floating cages · EDC agreement under negotiation.
Location and characteristics
Lake Mbakaou is a hydroelectric reservoir operated by Electricity Development Corporation (EDC), built on the Djérem river basin. With a surface area of approximately 400 km² and depths varying from 5 to 30 meters, it offers exceptional limnological conditions for industrial aquaculture in floating cages: stable temperature between 24 and 28°C, favorable oxygenation, moderate currents. Its 87/100 aquaculture suitability score qualifies it as PROAQUI's priority site.
| Region | Adamaoua, Republic of Cameroon |
| GPS coordinates | 6°19'N · 12°49'E |
| Reservoir surface | ≈ 400 km² |
| Depth | 5 to 30 meters depending on zone |
| Water temperature | 24 to 28°C (ideal for GIFT tilapia) |
| Manager | Electricity Development Corporation (EDC) |
| Aquaculture suitability score | 87/100 — Priority site |
| Agreement status | Water-body usage agreement under negotiation with EDC |
The site's three activities
Activity 01 — Farming
World standard: 18 m diameter × 6 m HDPE, productivity 130 t/cage/year. Density managed per industry-leading Asian protocols (Lake Toba, Indonesia). Total capacity 30,000 tonnes per year at steady state.
Activity 02 — Reproduction
Capacity 60 million GIFT-9 fingerlings per year. Reproduction under reinforced biosecurity, hatching rate ≥ 85%, masculinization rate ≥ 95%. 100% internal cage supply — no dependence on imported fingerlings.
Activity 03 — Downstream
Integrated fresh-chilled value chain (≤ 5 days post-harvest): whole fish, vacuum-packed fillets, smoked fillets, consumer packaging. End-to-end controlled cold chain. Target certifications: ISO 22000, HACCP, ASC.
Contractual framework
Electricity Development Corporation (EDC) is the public Cameroonian operator that manages the Mbakaou reservoir. A usage agreement is currently under negotiation to formalize Zeideal Group's rights on the water body, while respecting the dam's primary hydroelectric function. This agreement will be one of the prerequisites of the Phase 1 financial closing.