Socio-economic and zootechnical characteristics of fish farming in the Mwenga territory (South Kivu) in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Summary: During the Belgian colonial period (1950-1960), fish farming in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) experienced a spectacular boom, producing nearly 1, 000 tonnes of marketable fish per year and 10, 000 tonnes of fry for 15, 000 fish farmers before the 1960s. After the country's independence, fish farming had declined sharply, with yields no more than 2.5 t ha -1 per year in rural areas, or even a general abandonment almost across the entire DRC. This study was conducted from March 30 to December 30, 2023, using a survey questionnaire, interviews, direct observations, and documentation. Its main objective was to analyze the socio-economic and zootechnical characteristics of fish farming in the Bisitabyale Grouping in the Mwenga Territory, South Kivu Province, DRC. A total of 100 fish farmers were surveyed, either at their fish farms or within their households. After data collection, the data were processed using Excel and transferred to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(SPSS) software for descriptive analysis. The results reveal that fish farming is exclusively practiced by men, with one-third of the farmers aged between 29 and 39, the majority of whom are married. Most of them have only a primary school education. A large majority of fish farmers (65%) are agricultural workers; 96% of fish farmers raise fish for economic reasons; 93% have not received any training in fish farming techniques; 72% own reservoir ponds. None of the farmers feed their fish or fertilize their ponds. All practice extensive farming and use a mixed stocking method. All fish farmers obtain their fingerlings from others. Finally, the majority face a lack of government support services and/or training in fish farming techniques.