Analysis of the Ichtyological Composition of Smoked Fish Sold in the Liberté and Gambela markets in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyse the ichthyological composition of smoked fish sold in the Liberté and Gambela markets in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo through a systematic inventory. A 7-month survey was carried out among 200 smoked fish vendors in the two markets in order to extract the information sought. The results obtained show that the sale of smoked fish in Kinshasa is an activity reserved for women with a dominance of married vendors. The smoked fish sold in the two markets are diversified and belong to 6 orders, 13 families, 20 genera and 22 species. Fish belonging to the Siluriformes (30.8%), Characiformes (23.1%), Osteoglossiformes and Perciformes orders (15.4% respectively) are in the majority, while at the family level, Distichodontidae and Mormyridae fish are the most abundant (13.6%). Parachanna spp: 27.6%, Protopterus doloï: 26.3%, Clarias spp: 19.4% and Channalabes apus: 19.1% are the most sold fish species. Households (with 57.6%), restaurateurs (26.4%) and exporters (with 10.2%) are the biggest consumers of smoked fish sold in Kinshasa, which come from the interior of the country and, essentially, from the provinces of Equateur, Mai-Ndombe, Mongala and Sud Ubangi.