Deforestation threatens fish stocks and livelihoods in Central African Republic

Every day, Jean-Roméo heads out to fish on the Mbali River, but these days the catch is getting smaller. Experts warn that deforestation is devastating fish populations. Around Boali, in southwestern Central African Republic, trees are being felled at an alarming rate to produce charcoal for cooking and heating. For Jean-Roméo and fellow fishermen, the struggle to survive is growing harder by the day. Our main problem is the felling of trees. This has to stop. The trees are being cut down to produce charcoal. But if there are no more trees here, the land will burn, the water will dry up even more, and there will soon be no fish left. Look, in the past we used to catch much bigger carp. With the extreme heat and climate change, the fish have become smaller. But we have to make do with whatever we still manage to catch. Fishing sustains livelihoods across the Central African Republic, but in Boali, market vendors are struggling to find enough fish to sell. Fish is becoming scarce just as demand is rising. Stocks are running out quickly. Buyers are coming from Yaloke, Bangui and other towns to stock up. As a result, even we, the residents of Boali, no longer have enough fish. It's a real shortage. Fishermen are finding less and less in the water and it's becoming a real problem. Experts warn deforestation is lowering water levels, muddying the river and depleting oxygen, making it harder for fish to reproduce and survive. Tree felling does indeed have an impact on water in the Central African Republic. We will first start with number one, which is the effects, increased water turbidity and reduced oxygen levels. This is part of the first point. As I was saying, the second point, along with the same lines, is the destruction of fish breeding grounds. Nearly 200 countries are meeting in Armenia this week to tackle deforestation, pollution and the global biodiversity crisis