Congo fishermen abandon nets for plastic waste

Communities along the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are increasingly battling a growing plastic pollution crisis that is threatening livelihoods, aquatic life and food security, with many fishermen now pulling more waste than fish from the river.

Despite a 2017 law banning the manufacture and import of plastic bags and bottles in the DRC, enforcement remains weak and the regulation is widely ignored, particularly in the capital, Kinshasa.

The Congo River, regarded as the world’s second-most powerful river after the Amazon, supports millions of people across the vast Central African nation. Government figures estimate that around 60,000 tonnes of fish are harvested annually from the river system, which stretches more than 4,300 kilometres across the country.

However, fishermen near Kinshasa say years of worsening pollution have significantly reduced fish populations and damaged their means of survival.

Speaking to AFP, fisherman Gilby Mwana-Fioti said the river has changed drastically in recent years.

“A few years ago, I used to catch big fish like captains and catfish but because of the pollution, they’ve moved further out to sea,” he said.

Along the riverbanks, fishermen now return with small catches mixed with plastic bottles, household waste and used nappies. Some say fishing has become so unprofitable that they have turned to collecting and selling plastic waste instead.

Kinshasa, a rapidly growing city of more than 17 million residents, produces at least 10 tonnes of plastic waste daily, according to environmental experts. With limited waste management infrastructure and chronic underfunding of local authorities, much of the rubbish ends up in drainage channels and waterways before flowing directly into the Congo River.

A 2023 study by the University of Kinshasa found that plastic exposed to sunlight breaks down into harmful microplastics, which are consumed by fish and other aquatic organisms. Researchers warned that the contamination affects fish growth and reproduction and eventually enters the human food chain.

Environmental campaigners say the situation has reached alarming levels.

Kongo River head Vincent Kunda said less than 20 percent of waste generated in the city is properly processed.

“Plastic pollution has reached alarming levels,” he said, warning that the river ecosystem continues to deteriorate.

On the small river island of Kimpoko, where more than 600 families depend on small-scale fishing, many residents now rely on collecting plastic waste for survival.

Seventy-one-year-old fisherman Charles Moluwa Nzeni Masela said he now spends more time gathering plastic trapped in reeds along swampy riverbanks than fishing.

“Since catching fish on this river has become very complicated, I’ve started fishing for plastic,” he said, explaining that selling plastic waste sometimes earns him more money than fishing.

According to local fishermen, they now earn only between $10 and $20 weekly from fishing, compared to nearly $100 a decade ago. By contrast, recycled plastic can generate more stable income, with some fishermen reportedly collecting up to 50 kilograms of waste each week for sale to recycling companies.

Still, many river communities fear for the future of fishing on the Congo River and are calling on authorities to provide support, including motorised canoes that would allow them to fish farther from heavily polluted riverbanks where fish stocks remain healthier.

For many families, however, survival has become the immediate priority as pollution continues to reshape life along one of Africa’s most important waterways.

TNAM

Edited By Egwu Patience Nnennaya