Characteristics of hunters and the socio-economic importance of selling game on the survival of village households in the Kisangani Forest Region (R.D.C.)

The present study focuses on the description of hunting professionals and intends to determine the contribution of hunting in the survival of village households in the former Province Orientale. It contributes to the in-depth knowledge of the profile of these key players in the commercial bushmeat market and the understanding of the socio-economic context at the first level of the game sales chain. The methods used to achieve the set objectives are summarized first of all in the questionnaire which made it possible to establish the survey form containing the identity of the interviewees and other descriptions, the interview, then the direct observation on the ground. , cost-benefit analysis and chi-square test and Anova. After tabulation and data processing, it appears that the hunters are all men whose age varies from 20 to 69 years. They come from different ethnic backgrounds and most of them are married and responsible for households. As a level of education, there are among them illiterates, primarians and some graduates. The results show that bushmeat consumption occurs 1 to 3 times per week in most village households. The average monthly hunter's income estimate is USD 58.18 to meet the multiple daily needs