Government Contacts & Information resources for Commercial Fishing, Seafood, Aquaculture, Marine & Oceans in Democratic Republic of Congo

Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profile for Congo, Democratic Republic of - aquatic species caught by country or area, by species items, by FAO major fishing areas, and year, for all commercial, industrial, recreational and subsistence purposes. The harvest from mariculture, aquaculture and other kinds of fish farming is also included.

Marine fisheries

The DRC has a very small Atlantic Ocean coastline, and marine production is very modest, accounting in the 1980s only for an estimated 2 percent of total national fish harvests. Almost all of the marine production reported derives from artisanal units using canoes and beach seines.

Inland fisheries

There are vast freshwater fisheries resources in the country, contained primarily within the major Rift Valley lakes along the eastern borders with Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia and Uganda, and within the extensive Congo River basin.

Introduced Species

Astatoreochromis alluaudi
Clarias gariepinus
Heterotis niloticus
Limnocaridina tanganicae
Limnothrissa miodon
Oreochromis andersonii
Oreochromis leucostictus
Oreochromis macrochir macrochir
Oreochromis mortimeri
Oreochromis spilurus spilurus
Oreochromis mossambicus
Serranochromis robustus robustus
Tilapia zillii
Tilapia rendalli
Cyprinus carpio
Hemichromis elongatus
Protopterus aethiopicus aethiopicus
Eichhornia crassipes
Stolothrissa tanganicae

Utilization of the catch

Most of the marine catch is marketed as chilled or fresh fish in Kinshasa markets. Inland catches are marketed in cured form, either as smoked, sun-dried or salt-dried product, except for markets in the immediate vicinity of landing sites, where fresh product is available. Industrial processing (freezing) facilities exist at Kalemie on Lake Tanganyika, but their present status is unknown. Waterborne transport plays a critical role in fish distribution and marketing throughout the eastern Rift Valley lakes region and within the Congo River Basin. Fish is a very popular food item in most areas and demand is exceedingly high. However, the isolated location of many of the water bodies and non-existent or extremely disintegrated infrastructure impose severe limitations on distribution and marketing possibilities. FAO estimates for 1998 put the national per capita fish supply at 5.9 kg.

AQUASTAT is FAO's global information system on water and agriculture developed by the Land and Water Division. It collects, analyses and disseminates data and information by country and by region. Its aim is to provide users interested in global, regional and national analyses with comprehensive information related to water resources and agricultural water management across the world, with emphasis on countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Information for Congo