27 May 2021, Bomassa, Nouabale Ndoki, Republic of Congo - Huge logs from original growth forests are transported by ferry to Ouesso to make their way to Brazzaville for export. There is a difficult blance between the logging industry, strategic for the ROC economy, and conservation values. WCS has been trying to balance that relationship for over 30 years in this region.
Background information
The SWM Programme activities in Congo focus on the forest concessions that constitute the wild meat (game and fish) supply basin of the town of Ouesso. Hunting and fishing are important sources of food and income. To secure the sustainable use of wild protein by the local populations of traditional villages (indigenous and Bantu) located in these forest concessions, the project operates at three scales. The aim is to balance the supply and demand for wild meat products in 1) traditional villages, 2) secondary towns and forest camps and 3) cities. Community hunting areas overlap with logging concessions. Some of the concession are FSC certified and are working with the SWM Programme to achieve sustainable levels of hunting and prohibit the sale of wild meat.
