Artisanal shark fishing by migrant fishers using “Popo” boats (large motorised boats) has been an important fishery in the coastal port of Pointe-Noire since the early 1980s, driven by extensive demand from East and Southeast Asia for fins. TRAFFIC has released a detailed report and a documentary about the trade in shark meat and fins in the Republic of Congo. It explores the threats of over-exploitation and illegal fishing and the local livelihoods put at risk by illegal commercial fishing by Chinese trawlers. The story is told from a rare perspective with access to shark fishers and traders. The filmmakers, Chris Clark and Shaun Swingler, are both from Cape Town.

See the detailed report here 

View the documentary film, Murky Waters: Inside Congo’s Shark Trade here:

TRAFFIC is a non-government global conservation and sustainable development organisation. DM