More profitable to fish for plastic than fish in the Congo River

Some fish get caught in the nets, but they are small and few in number. However, there seems to be an endless supply of plastic waste in the Congo River, and fishermen see it as their new livelihood.

Charles Moluwa Nzeni Masela, 71, is one of many in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who have always made a living from the river. But now his nets are mostly filled with plastic.

He can sell the rubbish to recyclers for 1,000 francs (4 kronor) per kilo – actually a better price than for fish, he tells AFP.

´It’s a shame it’s come to this, but we have no choice,´ he tells the news agency.´It’s a way of surviving.´

The quantities of rubbish are enormous, in a city with 20 miljon inhabitants and no rubbish collection.

The plastic also hinders the vegetation in which the fish reproduce. So, at best, Nzeni Masela can hope that his work will at least keep the door ajar for the fish to return.