Freshwater fish scarcity drives aquaculture in the Republic of Congo

Pointe-Noire, the economic capital of the Republic of Congo, is home to more than a dozen rivers, including the Tchinouka. Despite their potential as sources of freshwater fish, many of these waterways are unusable because of pollution and other challenges.

As the FAO calls for innovation to help feed future generations, land-based fish farming is emerging as a possible solution.

“We are operating right in the city, using tanks and ponds. This makes it easier to harvest the fish and monitor them. Under the traditional system, you might put 1,000 fingerlings in a natural pond. Six months later, when you return to harvest them, you may find that only 100 or 200 fish remain,” SAID Wilde Bahamboula, a fish farmer.

Congo is already facing shortages of marine and freshwater fish, partly because of overfishing. As a result, freshwater fish is increasingly absent from people’s plates.

In a country where the minimum wage is 50,000 CFA francs, many low-income households cannot afford a giant catfish, which can cost more than 7,000 CFA francs each. Fish is becoming a luxury, while meat products are increasingly seen as a basic necessity.

Feed accounts for around 75 percent of production costs, making it one of the biggest challenges for fish farmers. That has led producers to call for closer links with the agricultural sector and greater local production of fish feed.

The FAO estimates that Congo-Brazzaville produces nearly 1,500 tonnes of farmed fish each year. According to the United Nations agency, people in Congo consume an average of 25 kilograms of fish per person annually. As prices rise and supplies remain limited, aquaculture is being presented as a way to make fish more accessible.