Huntingandfishinghavelongbeencentraltothetraditions,culture,andliveli hoodsofruralcommunitiesintheCongoBasin,supportingbothruralandurbanpopulations.Wildmeatandfreshwaterfisharekeyproteinandnutrientsources,central tobothruralandurbandiets,andsupportinformaleconomies,employment,andtraditionalmedicine.Culturally,theyareembeddedinceremonies,prestige,andsocialcohesion.Theseactivitiesaregovernedbyamixofcustomaryandstatutorylaws,thoughtraditionalregulationshaveweakenedovertimeandnationallaws,especiallyforinlandfisheries,areoftenincompleteoroutdated.Enforcementisunevenandweakening.Currently,wildmeatharvests,estimatedat1.6–11.8milliontonsannually,aredominatedbyungulates,rodents,andprimates,whilefishproduction,notablyintheDRC,reachesabout230,000tyearly,withhighpost-harvestlosses.Bothsectorsfeedasignificantillegalinternationaltradeinbushmeat,fish,andexoticpets.Wildlifepopulationsshowmarkeddeclinefromhabitatdisturbanceandoverexploitation:largemammalsarescarceinhuntedareas,replacedbysmall,resilientspecies;toppredatorsandkeyherbivoresarereduced;andinlandfisheriesfaceshrinkingcatches,smallerfish sizes,andmarket-drivenpressures.Overhuntingdisruptsseeddispersalandecosystemdynamics,whileoverfishingdegradesaquaticbiodiversityandhabi-tats,withlong-termcatchdeclinesof65–80%threateningfoodwebsandresil-ience.TheselossesendangerruralandIndigenouslivelihoods,heightennutritionalinsecurity,andexposecommunitiestozoonoticdiseaserisksthroughunsafewildlifehandling.GiventheimportanceofthesesectorsintheCongoBasin,thereisaneedforintegratedgovernanceandmanagementmodelsthatalignhumanneedswithecologicalsustainability(seechapter26).