Food Security and Forests: Declining fish in the Congo River

Fish are an important part of peoples’ diets and livelihoods along the Congo River. As part of the Governing Multifunctional Landscapes (GML) project, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in partnership with Virginia Tech University and University of Kisangani, carried out surveys of fishermen in Lileko along the Congo River in Tshopo Province. This was in response to complaints from fishermen in the community about declining fish causing a significant negative implication on food security, nutrition, and income. The research team interviewed over 200 fisherfolk in the area and this short film shares the findings of the team.