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Guy Cowlishaw - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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long term spatio temporal changes in a west african Bushmeat trade system
Conservation Biology, 2015Co-Authors: J M Rowcliffe, Guy Cowlishaw, James Mcnamara, John Manyimadin Kusimi, A Brenyah, E J MilnergullandAbstract:Landscapes in many developing countries consist of a heterogeneous matrix of mixed agriculture and forest. Many of the generalist species in this matrix are increasingly traded in the Bushmeat markets of West and Central Africa. However, to date there has been little quantification of how the spatial configuration of the landscape influences the urban Bushmeat trade over time. As anthropogenic landscapes become the face of rural West Africa, understanding the dynamics of these systems has important implications for conservation and landscape management. The Bushmeat production of an area is likely to be defined by landscape characteristics such as habitat disturbance, hunting pressure, level of protection, and distance to market. We explored (SSG, tense) the role of these four characteristics in the spatio-temporal dynamics of the commercial Bushmeat trade around the city of Kumasi, Ghana, over 27 years (1978 to 2004). We used geographic information system methods to generate maps delineating the spatial characteristics of the landscapes. These data were combined with spatially explicit market data collected in the main fresh Bushmeat market in Kumasi to explore the relationship between trade volume (measured in terms of number of carcasses) and landscape characteristics. Over time, rodents, specifically cane rats (Thryonomys swinderianus), became more abundant in the trade relative to ungulates and the catchment area of the Bushmeat market expanded. Areas of intermediate disturbance supplied more Bushmeat, but protected areas had no effect. Heavily hunted areas showed significant declines in Bushmeat supply over time. Our results highlight the role that low intensity, heterogeneous agricultural landscapes can play in providing ecosystem services, such as Bushmeat, and therefore the importance of incorporating Bushmeat into ecosystem service mapping exercises. Our results also indicate that even where high Bushmeat production is possible, current harvest levels may cause wildlife depletion. Cambios Espacio-Temporales a Largo Plazo en un Sistema de Mercado de Carne de Animales Silvestres en Africa Occidental Resumen Los paisajes en muchos de los paises en desarrollo consisten de una matriz heterogenea de agricultura mixta y bosque. Muchas de las especies generalistas en esta matriz cada vez son mas comercializadas en los mercados de carne de animales silvestres de Africa central y occidental. Sin embargo, a la fecha ha habido poca cuantificacion de como influye la configuracion espacial del paisaje al mercado urbano de carne de animales silvestres con el tiempo. Conforme los paisajes antropogenicos se vuelven comunes en el Africa occidental rural, entender las dinamicas de estos sistemas tiene implicaciones importantes para la conservacion y el manejo del paisaje. Es posible que la produccion de esta carne en un area este definida por caracteristicas del paisaje como la perturbacion del habitat, la presion de caza, el nivel de proteccion y la distancia al mercado. Exploramos el papel de estas cuatro caracteristicas en las dinamicas espacio-temporales del mercado comercial de la carne de animales salvajes cerca de la ciudad de Kumasi, Ghana, durante 27 anos (1978 a 2004). Usamos metodos de sistemas de informacion geografica (SIG) para generar mapas que delinearan las caracteristicas espaciales de los paisajes. Estos datos se combinaron con datos de mercado espacialmente explicitos colectados en el principal mercado de carne fresca de animales salvajes en Kumasi para explorar la relacion entre el volumen comercial (medido en terminos de numero de cadaveres) y las caracteristicas del paisaje. Con el tiempo, los roedores, especificamente la rata de la cana (Thryonomys swinderianus) se volvieron mas abundantes en el mercado con relacion a los ungulados y la zona de influencia del mercado se expandio. Las areas de perturbacion intermedia suministraron mas carne de animales silvestres, pero las areas protegidas no tuvieron efecto. Con el tiempo, las zonas con un alto nivel de caceria mostraron declinaciones significativas en el suministro de carne de animales silvestres. Nuestros resultados resaltan el papel que pueden tener los paisajes de agricultura heterogenea y de baja intensidad en la aportacion de servicios ambientales, como este tipo de carne, y por lo tanto la importancia de incorporar la carne de animales salvajes a los ejercicios de mapeo de servicios ambientales. Nuestros resultados tambien indican que incluso donde una produccion alta de este tipo de carne es posible, los niveles actuales de recoleccion pueden causar una reduccion en la vida silvestre.
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the importance of Bushmeat in the livelihoods of west african cash crop farmers living in a faunally depleted landscape
PLOS ONE, 2013Co-Authors: Bjorn Schulteherbruggen, Guy Cowlishaw, Katherine Homewood, Marcus J RowcliffeAbstract:Bushmeat is an important resource in the livelihoods of many rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa and may be a crucial safety-net for the most vulnerable households, especially during times of economic hardship. However, little is known about the impacts of wildlife depletion on these functions. This study quantifies the role of Bushmeat in diversified rural household economies in a wildlife depleted forest-farm landscape in Ghana, assessing its importance overall, as well as differentiated by the relative vulnerability of households. Using repeat socioeconomic questionnaires (N=787) among 63 households over a one-year period, the following hypotheses were tested: (a) vulnerable households harvest more Bushmeat; (b) Bushmeat contributes a greater proportion of household production in vulnerable households; (c) Bushmeat is more important for cash income than consumption in vulnerable households; and (d) Bushmeat sales are more important for vulnerable households. The Bushmeat harvest value averaged less than US$1.0 per day for 89% of households and comprised less than 7% of household production value. Household wealth and gender of the household head had little effect on the importance of Bushmeat. However, Bushmeat harvest and sales were highest during the agricultural lean season. Overall, most harvested Bushmeat (64%) was consumed, enabling households to spend 30% less on meat/fish purchases. These findings suggest that, despite heavily depleted wildlife and diversified livelihoods, Bushmeat continues to have an important role in rural livelihoods by acting as a safety net for income smoothing and reducing household expenditure during times of economic hardship.
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use of market data to assess Bushmeat hunting sustainability in equatorial guinea
Conservation Biology, 2011Co-Authors: J M Rowcliffe, Guy Cowlishaw, Noelle F Kumpel, S M Allebonewebb, Janna Rist, E J MilnergullandAbstract:Finding an adequate measure of hunting sustainability for tropical forests has proved difficult. Many researchers have used urban Bushmeat market surveys as indicators of hunting volumes and composition, but no analysis has been done of the reliability of market data in reflecting village offtake. We used data from urban markets and the villages that supply these markets to examine changes in the volume and composition of traded Bushmeat between the village and the market (trade filters) in Equatorial Guinea. We collected data with market surveys and hunter offtake diaries. The trade filters varied depending on village remoteness and the monopoly power of traders. In a village with limited market access, species that maximized trader profits were most likely to be traded. In a village with greater market access, species for which hunters gained the greatest income per carcass were more likely to be traded. The probability of particular species being sold to market also depended on the capture method and season. Larger, more vulnerable species were more likely to be supplied from less-accessible catchments, whereas there was no effect of forest cover or human population density on probability of being sold. This suggests that the composition of Bushmeat offtake in an area may be driven more by urban demand than the geographic characteristics of that area. In one market, traders may have reached the limit of their geographical exploitation range, and hunting pressure within that range may be increasing. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to model the trade filters that bias market data, which opens the way to developing more robust market-based sustainability indices for the Bushmeat trade.
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Incentives for Hunting: The Role of Bushmeat in the Household Economy in Rural Equatorial Guinea
Human Ecology, 2010Co-Authors: Noelle F Kumpel, Guy Cowlishaw, E. J. Milner-gulland, J. Marcus RowcliffeAbstract:Bushmeat is an important component of the informal economy throughout West and Central Africa. In order to formulate effective policy to ensure the sustainability of Bushmeat hunting for both development and conservation reasons, there is a need to understand its position within the wider rural economy. We conducted interviews with households and hunters over a 15-month period in a village in continental Equatorial Guinea which supplies substantial quantities of Bushmeat to the urban market, to evaluate (1) whether hunting is predominately for income or consumption and through choice or necessity, and (2) the factors influencing household production of and consumption and expenditure on Bushmeat. Hunting for trade to urban markets is a major component of household incomes, carried out by around 60% of poor-to-middle income households, while richer households have other income-generating activities. The greater a hunter’s Bushmeat offtake, the higher the proportion sold. Bushmeat forms a minor component of household expenditure and is less widely consumed than alternative protein sources. It is a necessity good, with consumption and expenditure on Bushmeat related less than proportionately to income. While they prefer the security of a regular wage, hunting is an important source of fall-back income for men in the absence of preferable alternative livelihood opportunities.
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species protection the changing informal economy and the politics of access to the Bushmeat trade in the democratic republic of congo
Conservation Biology, 2006Co-Authors: Emmanuel De Merode, Guy CowlishawAbstract:Our understanding of the linkages between the Bushmeat trade and the wider informal economy is limited. This lack of knowledge is particularly problematic for conservation under conditions of political instability, when the informal economy can be highly dynamic and impacts on wildlife populations can be severe. To explore these interlinked processes, we conducted a study of the Bushmeat trade in Garamba National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo, through a combination of market surveys, semistructured interviews, and direct observation. We focused on the sale of protected and unprotected species in urban and rural markets, and the Bushmeat commodity chains that supplied these markets, under conditions of political stability and armed conflict. During peacetime, protected species from the park (predominantly elephant and buffalo) rarely appeared in the rural markets, but they comprised more than half of all Bushmeat sales in the urban markets. This pattern reflected differences in the rural and urban commodity chains. Automatic weapons were urban trade. The use of such weapons was discouraged by the traditional chiefs, who administered the village markets. During wartime, the sales of protected species in the urban markets increased fivefold because the military officers fled, leaving behind an open-access system that led to a massive increase in the exploitation of protected species. In contrast, the rural markets remained relatively stable because of the continued authority of the village chiefs. Our results indicate that sociopolitical factors can be an important determinant of species offtake and, therefore, that knowledge of the Bushmeat commodity chain can be vital to controlling theprocesses that drive species extraction. In addition, our findings suggest that traditional authorities can be potentially valuable partners for Bushmeat management.
E J Milnergulland - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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long term spatio temporal changes in a west african Bushmeat trade system
Conservation Biology, 2015Co-Authors: J M Rowcliffe, Guy Cowlishaw, James Mcnamara, John Manyimadin Kusimi, A Brenyah, E J MilnergullandAbstract:Landscapes in many developing countries consist of a heterogeneous matrix of mixed agriculture and forest. Many of the generalist species in this matrix are increasingly traded in the Bushmeat markets of West and Central Africa. However, to date there has been little quantification of how the spatial configuration of the landscape influences the urban Bushmeat trade over time. As anthropogenic landscapes become the face of rural West Africa, understanding the dynamics of these systems has important implications for conservation and landscape management. The Bushmeat production of an area is likely to be defined by landscape characteristics such as habitat disturbance, hunting pressure, level of protection, and distance to market. We explored (SSG, tense) the role of these four characteristics in the spatio-temporal dynamics of the commercial Bushmeat trade around the city of Kumasi, Ghana, over 27 years (1978 to 2004). We used geographic information system methods to generate maps delineating the spatial characteristics of the landscapes. These data were combined with spatially explicit market data collected in the main fresh Bushmeat market in Kumasi to explore the relationship between trade volume (measured in terms of number of carcasses) and landscape characteristics. Over time, rodents, specifically cane rats (Thryonomys swinderianus), became more abundant in the trade relative to ungulates and the catchment area of the Bushmeat market expanded. Areas of intermediate disturbance supplied more Bushmeat, but protected areas had no effect. Heavily hunted areas showed significant declines in Bushmeat supply over time. Our results highlight the role that low intensity, heterogeneous agricultural landscapes can play in providing ecosystem services, such as Bushmeat, and therefore the importance of incorporating Bushmeat into ecosystem service mapping exercises. Our results also indicate that even where high Bushmeat production is possible, current harvest levels may cause wildlife depletion. Cambios Espacio-Temporales a Largo Plazo en un Sistema de Mercado de Carne de Animales Silvestres en Africa Occidental Resumen Los paisajes en muchos de los paises en desarrollo consisten de una matriz heterogenea de agricultura mixta y bosque. Muchas de las especies generalistas en esta matriz cada vez son mas comercializadas en los mercados de carne de animales silvestres de Africa central y occidental. Sin embargo, a la fecha ha habido poca cuantificacion de como influye la configuracion espacial del paisaje al mercado urbano de carne de animales silvestres con el tiempo. Conforme los paisajes antropogenicos se vuelven comunes en el Africa occidental rural, entender las dinamicas de estos sistemas tiene implicaciones importantes para la conservacion y el manejo del paisaje. Es posible que la produccion de esta carne en un area este definida por caracteristicas del paisaje como la perturbacion del habitat, la presion de caza, el nivel de proteccion y la distancia al mercado. Exploramos el papel de estas cuatro caracteristicas en las dinamicas espacio-temporales del mercado comercial de la carne de animales salvajes cerca de la ciudad de Kumasi, Ghana, durante 27 anos (1978 a 2004). Usamos metodos de sistemas de informacion geografica (SIG) para generar mapas que delinearan las caracteristicas espaciales de los paisajes. Estos datos se combinaron con datos de mercado espacialmente explicitos colectados en el principal mercado de carne fresca de animales salvajes en Kumasi para explorar la relacion entre el volumen comercial (medido en terminos de numero de cadaveres) y las caracteristicas del paisaje. Con el tiempo, los roedores, especificamente la rata de la cana (Thryonomys swinderianus) se volvieron mas abundantes en el mercado con relacion a los ungulados y la zona de influencia del mercado se expandio. Las areas de perturbacion intermedia suministraron mas carne de animales silvestres, pero las areas protegidas no tuvieron efecto. Con el tiempo, las zonas con un alto nivel de caceria mostraron declinaciones significativas en el suministro de carne de animales silvestres. Nuestros resultados resaltan el papel que pueden tener los paisajes de agricultura heterogenea y de baja intensidad en la aportacion de servicios ambientales, como este tipo de carne, y por lo tanto la importancia de incorporar la carne de animales salvajes a los ejercicios de mapeo de servicios ambientales. Nuestros resultados tambien indican que incluso donde una produccion alta de este tipo de carne es posible, los niveles actuales de recoleccion pueden causar una reduccion en la vida silvestre.
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the role of Bushmeat in a west african agricultural landscape
Oryx, 2015Co-Authors: Justine Shanti Alexander, Marcus J Rowcliffe, James Mcnamara, James Oppong, E J MilnergullandAbstract:There is little information on the changing role of Bushmeat hunting in the agricultural areas of West Africa. We assessed the status and role of Bushmeat hunting and rural consumption in three communities in Ghana, through household surveys (n = 250), and interviews with hunters (n = 69), eatery owners (n = 18) and Bushmeat traders (n = 3). Hunting was embedded within dynamic livelihood strategies, with two broad categories of hunters identified: a large group who targeted pests on their own farms using traps, and a smaller group of professional hunters. The professional hunters included a group of young men who hunted with dogs, and another group of older firearm hunters who tended to be members of Hunters’ Associations. All professional hunters reported a decline in Bushmeat availability and expressed concerns about the viability of hunting as a livelihood. The frequency of consumption of Bushmeat increased with distance from the region's main urban centre, Kumasi, but Bushmeat was not found to be a major component of the diet in any of the villages. Few men self-identified as hunters, although Bushmeat hunting continued to play an important role in the rural economy, primarily for crop protection. Conservation efforts need to consider the full spectrum of hunting behaviours. Specific measures should target forest-based hunters, who are more likely to damage forest ecosystems than crop pest hunters but also show more concern for the sustainability of hunting, and commitment to hunting as an institution.
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a stated preference investigation of household demand for illegally hunted Bushmeat in the serengeti tanzania
Animal Conservation, 2015Co-Authors: Mirko Moro, E J Milnergulland, Anke Fischer, Asanterabi Lowassa, Loiruck C Naiman, Nick HanleyAbstract:Illegal hunting for Bushmeat is regarded as an important cause of biodiversity decline in Africa. We use a ‘stated preferences’ method to obtain information on determinants of demand for Bushmeat and two other protein sources, fish and chicken, in villages around the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Our study focuses particularly on the impact of price changes, as anticipating and understanding the impact of price changes (whether caused by conservation interventions or market changes) on demand for Bushmeat enables effective responses to be planned. We estimate the effects of changes in the price of Bushmeat and in the prices of two substitute protein sources – fish and chicken – on household demand for Bushmeat. Results suggest that increasing the availability of lower priced protein substitutes would reduce demand for Bushmeat, and therefore, potentially pressure on wildlife populations. However, raising the price of Bushmeat (e.g. as a result of reducing illegal hunting) would reduce household demand to a greater degree than equivalent decreases in the price of alternative protein sources. In both cases, elasticity of demand parameters are reported, which summarize the relative response to households to these alternative interventions. A 10% rise in Bushmeat prices would reduce demand by around 6–7%, while a 10% fall in chicken or fish prices would reduce Bushmeat demand by around 3–4%. The response to price changes varied between ethnic groups, and also according to household size (with the direction of the effect depending on whether the substitute was chicken or fish), but was not significantly affected by wealth or income.
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synthesising Bushmeat research effort in west and central africa a new regional database
Biological Conservation, 2015Co-Authors: Gemma Taylor, Jorn P W Scharlemann, Marcus Rowcliffe, Noelle F Kumpel, Mike Harfoot, R Melisch, E J Milnergulland, Shonil A Bhagwat, Katharine AbernethyAbstract:Unsustainable hunting threatens both biodiversity and local livelihoods. Despite high levels of research effort focused on understanding the dynamics of Bushmeat trade and consumption, current research is largely site specific. Without synthesis and quantitative analysis of available case studies, the national and regional characteristics of Bushmeat trade and consumption remain largely speculative, impeding efforts to inform national and regional policy on Bushmeat trade. Here we describe the structure and content of the West and Central African Bushmeat database which holds quantitative data on Bushmeat sales, consumption and offtake for 177 species from 275 sites across 11 countries in two regions, spanning three decades of research. Despite this wealth of available data, we found important biases in research effort. The majority of studies in West and Central Africa have collected market data, which although providing a useful record of Bushmeat sales, are limited in their ability to track changes in hunting offtake. In addition, few data exist for West Africa, and few studies have tracked changes over time, using repeat sampling. With new initiatives in the regions to track Bushmeat hunting, this database represents an opportunity to synthesise current and future data on Bushmeat hunting, consumption and trade in West and Central Africa, identify gaps in current understanding, and systematically target future monitoring efforts.
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use of market data to assess Bushmeat hunting sustainability in equatorial guinea
Conservation Biology, 2011Co-Authors: J M Rowcliffe, Guy Cowlishaw, Noelle F Kumpel, S M Allebonewebb, Janna Rist, E J MilnergullandAbstract:Finding an adequate measure of hunting sustainability for tropical forests has proved difficult. Many researchers have used urban Bushmeat market surveys as indicators of hunting volumes and composition, but no analysis has been done of the reliability of market data in reflecting village offtake. We used data from urban markets and the villages that supply these markets to examine changes in the volume and composition of traded Bushmeat between the village and the market (trade filters) in Equatorial Guinea. We collected data with market surveys and hunter offtake diaries. The trade filters varied depending on village remoteness and the monopoly power of traders. In a village with limited market access, species that maximized trader profits were most likely to be traded. In a village with greater market access, species for which hunters gained the greatest income per carcass were more likely to be traded. The probability of particular species being sold to market also depended on the capture method and season. Larger, more vulnerable species were more likely to be supplied from less-accessible catchments, whereas there was no effect of forest cover or human population density on probability of being sold. This suggests that the composition of Bushmeat offtake in an area may be driven more by urban demand than the geographic characteristics of that area. In one market, traders may have reached the limit of their geographical exploitation range, and hunting pressure within that range may be increasing. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to model the trade filters that bias market data, which opens the way to developing more robust market-based sustainability indices for the Bushmeat trade.
Robert Nasi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the harvest of tropical wildlife for Bushmeat and traditional medicine
Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 2020Co-Authors: Tien Ming Lee, Amanda Sigouin, Miguel Pinedovasquez, Robert NasiAbstract:Bushmeat is not only an important source of fat, micronutrients, and macronutrients, but it also has medicinal uses. Extensive human–wildlife interactions may lead to pathogen exchange and trigger zoonotic infectious disease outbreaks such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, Ebola, and coronavirus disease 2019. In the tropics, Bushmeat has become one of the most threatened resources due to widespread habitat loss and overexploitation, largely driven by increased global demand, weak governance, and lack of enforcement. Unsustainable harvesting, consumption, and production practices are common, although drivers are complex and intertwined and vary regionally, pointing to a looming rural nutrition security and wildlife conservation issue. Growing demand in fast urbanizing markets coupled with easy access fuels the illegal trade of Bushmeat, medicinal products, and wildlife-based luxury goods. Although Bushmeat contributes significantly to rural people's income and poverty alleviation, overharvesting impacts those who are most dependent on the forest. To balance the rural and cultural importance of Bushmeat with conservation and public health priorities, strategies to safeguard tropical biodiversity, sustainable harvest of wildlife with reduced health risk for nutrition and medicine are urgently needed.
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food and livelihoods in park adjacent communities the case of the odzala kokoua national park
Biological Conservation, 2018Co-Authors: Robert Nasi, Germain A Mavah, Stephan M Funk, Brian Child, Marilyn E Swisher, John E FaAbstract:Protected areas (PAs) in Central Africa provide unprecedented opportunities to maintain ecosystem integrity and safeguard the unique wildlife of one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. However, conflicts exist between wildlife protection, and the needs of human populations adjacent to PAs. Although the use of wildlife resources within PAs is nominally regulated, wildlife exploitation in the areas surrounding parks benefit human nutrition and livelihoods of adjacent populations. In 2013–2014, we interviewed 28% of all known households in 37 villages surrounding the Odzala Kokoua National Park (OKNP), Republic of Congo. We gathered information on Bushmeat consumption, income, material assets, and hunter perception of the state of wildlife. We show that Bushmeat species (mostly duikers, small monkeys and porcupine) were consumed in 38–48% of meals, and 20–30% of households earned cash from hunting wildlife in most villages; more than any other single source of revenue, except cocoa. Although it remains unknown whether the park was a reservoir for wildlife for areas around the studied villages, we showed that more Bushmeat was consumed closer to OKNP. By contrast, income from Bushmeat sales in villages closer to markets was greater, and as a corollary, market access and household wealth were positively correlated. Overall, total household income, income from Bushmeat sales, travel time, and distance to the OKNP were good predictors of household wealth. Wildlife, although considered more abundant around villages closest to the park, was perceived as generally declining around all village groups. Our results highlight the possible importance of PAs and adjacent areas as reservoirs of wildlife and in maintaining wild meat resources used by the surrounding human populations.
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Bushmeat and human health assessing the evidence in tropical and sub tropical forests
Ethnobiology and Conservation, 2017Co-Authors: N Van Vliet, J Gomez, J Moreno, W Zhou, Christopher D Golden, R Nobrega R Alves, Robert NasiAbstract:The importance of Bushmeat as source of food and medicine for forest peoples calls for an appropriate benefit/risk analysis in terms of human health. In this systematic review, we compiled information on the linkages between Bushmeat and health, with a particular focus on the nutritional content, the zoo-therapeutic uses and the zoonotic pool of Bushmeat species in tropical and sub-tropical forest regions. Despite the scarcity of data on the nutritional content of most common Bushmeat species, the available studies demonstrate that Bushmeat is an important source of fats, micro and macro-nutrients and has a diversity of medicinal uses. However, Bushmeat may have detrimental health impacts where hunting, transportation, handling and cooking practices do not follow food safety practices. There is evidence that some Bushmeat carcasses may be contaminated by toxic metals or by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Moreover, several pathogens carried by Bushmeat are found to be zoonotic and potentially transmissible to humans through consumption or through exposure to body fluids and feces. We stress the need for more in-depth studies on the complex links between Bushmeat and human health. The development of innovative handling, conservation and cooking practices should help reduce the negative impacts of Bushmeat consumption on human health.
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eating and conserving Bushmeat in africa
African Journal of Ecology, 2016Co-Authors: David Wilkie, Michelle Wieland, Nathalie Van Vliet, Hubert Boulet, Sebastien Le Bel, Daniel Cornelis, Vincent Briacwarnon, Robert NasiAbstract:In Africa, overhunting of tropical wildlife for food remains an intractable issue. Donors and governments remain committed to invest in efforts to both conserve and allow the sustainable use of wildlife. Four principal barriers need to be overcome: (i) communities are not motivated to conserve wildlife long-term because they have no formal rights to benefit from wildlife, or to exclude others from taking it on their land; (ii) multispecies harvests, typical of Bushmeat hunting scenarios, place large-bodied species at risk of extinction; (iii) wildlife production cannot expand, in the same way that livestock farming can, to meet the expected growth in consumer demand; and (iv) wildlife habitat is lost through conversion to agriculture, housing, transportation networks and extractive industries. In this review, we examine the actors involved in the use of wildlife as food and discuss the possible solutions required to address urban and rural Bushmeat consumption. Interventions must tackle use and conservation of wildlife through the application of context-relevant interventions in a variety of geographies across Africa. That said, for any Bushmeat solution to work, there needs to be concurrent and comparable investment in strengthening the effectiveness of protected area management and enforcement of wildlife conservation laws.
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sustainable wildlife management and legal commercial use of Bushmeat in colombia the resource remains at the cross road
International Forestry Review, 2015Co-Authors: N Van Vliet, J Gomez, Maria Paula Quicenomesa, John Escobar, G Andrade, Liliana Vanegas, Robert NasiAbstract:SUMMARY Most countries in the Amazon have no clear policy frameworks to provide a legal path for sustainable wildlife management (SWM), including the commercial use of Bushmeat. In Colombia, despite efforts to provide more local autonomy in the management of natural resources and the openness towards the sustainable use of wildlife since the 1970s, there are still a number of legal and technical impediments that need to be addressed. In this research, we first compiled evidence of the current illegal trade of Bushmeat to justify the need to clarify legal frameworks regulating the activity. Then, we explore the opportunities for legal commercial hunting by rural communities and highlight current bottlenecks. Finally, we report on lessons learnt from past initiatives of sustainable Bushmeat use in the country. In our conclusion, we provide some practical recommendations to promote the sustainable use of wildlife, clarify the definition of commercial use for subsistence purposes and legalize sustainable loca...
Marcus J Rowcliffe - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the role of Bushmeat in a west african agricultural landscape
Oryx, 2015Co-Authors: Justine Shanti Alexander, Marcus J Rowcliffe, James Mcnamara, James Oppong, E J MilnergullandAbstract:There is little information on the changing role of Bushmeat hunting in the agricultural areas of West Africa. We assessed the status and role of Bushmeat hunting and rural consumption in three communities in Ghana, through household surveys (n = 250), and interviews with hunters (n = 69), eatery owners (n = 18) and Bushmeat traders (n = 3). Hunting was embedded within dynamic livelihood strategies, with two broad categories of hunters identified: a large group who targeted pests on their own farms using traps, and a smaller group of professional hunters. The professional hunters included a group of young men who hunted with dogs, and another group of older firearm hunters who tended to be members of Hunters’ Associations. All professional hunters reported a decline in Bushmeat availability and expressed concerns about the viability of hunting as a livelihood. The frequency of consumption of Bushmeat increased with distance from the region's main urban centre, Kumasi, but Bushmeat was not found to be a major component of the diet in any of the villages. Few men self-identified as hunters, although Bushmeat hunting continued to play an important role in the rural economy, primarily for crop protection. Conservation efforts need to consider the full spectrum of hunting behaviours. Specific measures should target forest-based hunters, who are more likely to damage forest ecosystems than crop pest hunters but also show more concern for the sustainability of hunting, and commitment to hunting as an institution.
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the importance of Bushmeat in the livelihoods of west african cash crop farmers living in a faunally depleted landscape
PLOS ONE, 2013Co-Authors: Bjorn Schulteherbruggen, Guy Cowlishaw, Katherine Homewood, Marcus J RowcliffeAbstract:Bushmeat is an important resource in the livelihoods of many rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa and may be a crucial safety-net for the most vulnerable households, especially during times of economic hardship. However, little is known about the impacts of wildlife depletion on these functions. This study quantifies the role of Bushmeat in diversified rural household economies in a wildlife depleted forest-farm landscape in Ghana, assessing its importance overall, as well as differentiated by the relative vulnerability of households. Using repeat socioeconomic questionnaires (N=787) among 63 households over a one-year period, the following hypotheses were tested: (a) vulnerable households harvest more Bushmeat; (b) Bushmeat contributes a greater proportion of household production in vulnerable households; (c) Bushmeat is more important for cash income than consumption in vulnerable households; and (d) Bushmeat sales are more important for vulnerable households. The Bushmeat harvest value averaged less than US$1.0 per day for 89% of households and comprised less than 7% of household production value. Household wealth and gender of the household head had little effect on the importance of Bushmeat. However, Bushmeat harvest and sales were highest during the agricultural lean season. Overall, most harvested Bushmeat (64%) was consumed, enabling households to spend 30% less on meat/fish purchases. These findings suggest that, despite heavily depleted wildlife and diversified livelihoods, Bushmeat continues to have an important role in rural livelihoods by acting as a safety net for income smoothing and reducing household expenditure during times of economic hardship.
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determinants of urban Bushmeat consumption in rio muni equatorial guinea
Biological Conservation, 2005Co-Authors: Tamsyn East, E J Milnergulland, Noelle F Kumpel, Marcus J RowcliffeAbstract:Abstract Understanding the factors driving demand for wild meat and its substitutes is crucial for predicting the effects of changing socio-economic conditions on consumption, and managing supplies sustainably. However urban demand for wild meat remains relatively understudied, particularly in West/Central Africa. We use interviews with consumers in households, markets and restaurants and a market survey to examine patterns of consumption of Bushmeat, domestic meat and fish in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, a country currently undergoing a period of strong economic and population growth. Consumers make a much clearer distinction between fresh and frozen foods than between Bushmeat, domestic meat and fish. Fresh foods are greatly preferred over frozen but are more expensive and less consumed. Consumption of all fresh foods increases with income. Controlling for income, native Equatoguineans consume more Bushmeat than other nationalities, while of the two dominant Equatoguinean tribes, the continental Fang consume more Bushmeat than the coastal Ndowe. Our findings indicate that increasing wealth of a growing urban population will greatly increase future demand for all fresh foods, including Bushmeat. There is no evidence of a luxury Bushmeat market based on rare species, thus controlled demand for Bushmeat could be met from common, highly productive species that are relatively robust to exploitation. Improving the supply of under-developed commodities, particularly domestic livestock, could also offset demand for Bushmeat.
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structure and operation of a Bushmeat commodity chain in southwestern ghana
Conservation Biology, 2005Co-Authors: Guy Cowlishaw, Samantha Mendelson, Marcus J RowcliffeAbstract:: The Bushmeat trade is perceived as a major threat to wild animal populations in the tropics. Little is known of how the trade is organized, however, or of the actors involved in it, impeding the development of effective conservation policy. We investigated the structure and operation of a Bushmeat commodity chain in West Africa that supplies a typical urban market, the city of Takoradi in southwestern Ghana. Data were collected from January through February 2000, describing 2430 Bushmeat transactions encompassing 17 different taxa from 70 different actors, through a combination of direct observation and semistructured interviews. Five different types of actor traded along the commodity chain: commercial hunters, farmer hunters, wholesalers, market traders, and chopbar (cafe) owners. Bushmeat was traded freely among all these actors, although the primary trade route for terrestrial mammals was from commercial hunters via wholesalers to chopbars. In contrast, invertebrates were only traded by farmer hunters, market traders, and chopbars. Wholesalers captured the largest per capita share of the market (4% of all sales were handled by each wholesaler), whereas the most important vendors were chopbars, which as a group made 85% of all Bushmeat sales to the public. Variation in the price of Bushmeat was largely explained by transport costs and taste preferences. Transport costs were most significant for hunters and greatest on long journeys involving large loads. Nevertheless, hunters obtained the greatest income per kilogram of Bushmeat sold of all actor groups. Our results suggest that there is no single best entry point along the Bushmeat commodity chain for conservation intervention. On the contrary, the successful monitoring and management of the Bushmeat trade is likely to require a multiactor approach that encompasses most or all actor groups. Resumen: El comercio de carne silvestre es una amenaza mayor para poblaciones de animales silvestre en los tropicos. Sin embargo, se conoce poco de como esta organizado o de los actores involucrados, lo que impide el desarrollo de una politica de conservacion efectiva. Investigamos la estructura y operacion de una cadena de produccion de carne silvestre en Africa Occidental que abastece un mercado urbano tipico: la ciudad de Takoradi en el suroeste de Ghana. Se recolectaron datos, de enero a febrero 2000, describiendo 2430 transacciones de carne silvestre comprendiendo 17 taxa diferentes y 70 actores diferentes, por medio de una combinacion de observacion directa y entrevistas semiestructuradas. En la cadena de comercializacion participaron cinco diferentes tipos de actor: cazadores comerciales, cazadores campesinos, mayoristas, comerciantes de mercado y propietarios de cafes. La carne silvestre se comercializo libremente entre todos estos actores, aunque la ruta primaria de comercio para mamiferos terrestres fue de cazadores comerciales a cafes, via mayoristas. En contraste, los invertebrados fueron comercializados solo por cazadores campesinos, comerciantes de mercado y cafes. Los mayoristas capturaron la mayor ganancia per capita del mercado (4% de todas las ventas fueron manejadas por cada mayorista), mientras que los cafes fueron los vendedores mas importantes, que como grupo realizaron 85% de todas las ventas de carne silvestre al publico. La variacion en el precio de la carne silvestre se explico principalmente por los costos de transporte y preferencia de sabor. Los costos de transporte fueron mas significativos para cazadores y mayores en viajes largos con cargas grandes. Sin embargo, los cazadores obtuvieron el mayor ingreso por kilogramo de carne. Nuestros resultados sugieren que, a lo largo de toda la cadena de produccion, no hay un solo punto de entrada para la intervencion de conservacion. Por el contrario, el monitoreo y manejo exitoso del comercio de carne silvestre requiere de una aproximacion que comprenda a la mayoria de o todos los grupos actores.
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wildlife policy briefing the Bushmeat commodity chain patterns of trade and sustainability in a mature urban market in west africa
2004Co-Authors: Guy Cowlishaw, Samantha Mendelson, Marcus J RowcliffeAbstract:Bushmeat can be an important component of household food security and income in West and Central Africa. However, there is growing concern that current levels of Bushmeat extraction are unsustainable and will lead to the loss of Bushmeat as a natural resource and to the extinction of many threatened species. Policy development to mitigate this risk is impeded by a dearth of information on the structure of the Bushmeat trade and its biological sustainability. In this study, we tackle these problems by exploring the structure and sustainability of a Bushmeat commodity chain supplying the city of Takoradi in Ghana.
Dennis Rentsch - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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molecular species identification of Bushmeat recovered from the serengeti ecosystem in tanzania
PLOS ONE, 2020Co-Authors: Megan A Schilling, Dennis Rentsch, Anna B Estes, Ernest Eblate, Andimile Martin, Robab Katani, Asteria Joseph, Fatuma Kindoro, Beatus Lyimo, Jessica RadziobasuAbstract:Bushmeat harvesting and consumption represents a potential risk for the spillover of endemic zoonotic pathogens, yet remains a common practice in many parts of the world. Given that the harvesting and selling of Bushmeat is illegal in Tanzania and other parts of Africa, the supply chain is informal and may include hunters, whole-sellers, retailers, and individual resellers who typically sell Bushmeat in small pieces. These pieces are often further processed, obscuring species-identifying morphological characteristics, contributing to incomplete or mistaken knowledge of species of origin and potentially confounding assessments of pathogen spillover risk and Bushmeat offtake. The current investigation sought to identify the species of origin and assess the concordance between seller-reported and laboratory-confirmed species of origin of Bushmeat harvested from in and around the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. After obtaining necessary permits, the species of origin of a total of 151 Bushmeat samples purchased from known intermediaries from 2016 to 2018 were characterized by PCR and sequence analysis of the cytochrome B (CytB) gene. Based on these sequence analyses, 30%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI: 24.4–38.6) of Bushmeat samples were misidentified by sellers. Misreporting amongst the top five source species (wildebeest, buffalo, impala, zebra, and giraffe) ranged from 20% (CI: 11.4–33.2) for samples reported as wildebeest to 47% (CI: 22.2–72.7) for samples reported as zebra although there was no systematic bias in reporting. Our findings suggest that while misreporting errors are unlikely to confound wildlife offtake estimates for Bushmeat consumption within the Serengeti ecosystem, the role of misreporting bias on the risk of spillover events of endemic zoonotic infections from Bushmeat requires further investigation.
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microbial diversity in Bushmeat samples recovered from the serengeti ecosystem in tanzania
Scientific Reports, 2019Co-Authors: Robab Katani, Megan A Schilling, Anna B Estes, Ernest Eblate, Andimile Martin, Beatus Lyimo, Triza Tonui, Isabella M Cattadori, Teresia Buza, Dennis RentschAbstract:Bushmeat, the meat and organs derived from wildlife species, is a common source of animal protein in the diets of those living in sub-Saharan Africa and is frequently associated with zoonotic spillover of dangerous pathogens. Given the frequent consumption of Bushmeat in this region and the lack of knowledge about the microbial communities associated with this meat, the microbiome of 56 fresh and processed Bushmeat samples ascertained from three districts in the Western Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania was characterized using 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing. The results show that the most abundant phyla present in Bushmeat samples include Firmicutes (67.8%), Proteobacteria (18.4%), Cyanobacteria (8.9%), and Bacteroidetes (3.1%). Regardless of wildlife species, sample condition, season, or region, the microbiome is diverse across all samples, with no significant difference in alpha or beta diversity. The findings also suggest the presence of DNA signatures of potentially dangerous zoonotic pathogens, including those from the genus Bacillus, Brucella, Coxiella, and others, in Bushmeat. Together, this investigation provides a better understanding of the microbiome associated with this major food source in samples collected from the Western Serengeti in Tanzania and highlights a need for future investigations on the potential health risks associated with the harvesting, trade, and consumption of Bushmeat in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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local scale dynamics and local drivers of Bushmeat trade
Conservation Biology, 2014Co-Authors: Angela Nyaki, Steven Gray, Christopher A Lepczyk, Jeffrey C Skibins, Dennis RentschAbstract:Bushmeat management policies are often developed outside the communities in which they are to be implemented. These policies are also routinely designed to be applied uniformly across communities with little regard for variation in social or ecological conditions. We used fuzzy-logic cognitive mapping, a form of participatory modeling, to compare the assumptions driving externally generated Bushmeat management policies with perceptions of Bushmeat trade dynamics collected from local community members who admitted to being recently engaged in Bushmeat trading (e.g., hunters, sellers, consumers). Data were collected during 9 workshops in 4 Tanzanian villages bordering Serengeti National Park. Specifically, we evaluated 9 community-generated models for the presence of the central factors that comprise and drive the Bushmeat trade and whether or not models included the same core concepts, relationships, and logical chains of reasoning on which Bushmeat conservation policies are commonly based. Across local communities, there was agreement about the most central factors important to understanding the Bushmeat trade (e.g., animal recruitment, low income, and scarcity of food crops). These matched policy assumptions. However, the factors perceived to drive social-ecological Bushmeat trade dynamics were more diverse and varied considerably across communities (e.g., presence or absence of collaborative law enforcement, increasing human population, market demand, cultural preference). Sensitive conservation issues, such as the Bushmeat trade, that require cooperation between communities and outside conservation organizations can benefit from participatory modeling approaches that make local-scale dynamics and conservation policy assumptions explicit. Further, communities' and conservation organizations' perceptions need to be aligned. This can improve success by allowing context appropriate policies to be developed, monitored, and appropriately adapted as new evidence is generated.
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The effect of Bushmeat consumption on migratory wildlife in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania
Oryx, 2014Co-Authors: Dennis Rentsch, Craig PackerAbstract:Bushmeat hunting is a threat to wildlife populations in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, including to migratory wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus and other wildlife populations in the Serengeti ecosystem. Accurate assessments of offtake through Bushmeat hunting are necessary to determine whether hunting pressure on the wildebeest population is unsustainable. We used a panel dataset of local Bushmeat consumption to measure offtake of wildlife and examine the long-term threat to the Serengeti wildebeest population. Based on these data we estimate an annual offtake of 97,796–140,615 wildebeest (6–10% of the current population), suggesting that previous estimates based on ecological models underestimated the effect of poaching on these populations.
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prices poaching and protein alternatives an analysis of Bushmeat consumption around serengeti national park tanzania
Ecological Economics, 2013Co-Authors: Dennis Rentsch, Amy L DamonAbstract:Abstract The consumption of meat from wild animals (or Bushmeat) occurs throughout Africa and highlights the conflict between two distinct development goals: food security and biodiversity conservation. Growing human populations throughout the greater Serengeti ecosystem rely heavily on Bushmeat as a source of protein, which places pressure on migratory wildlife populations. This paper uses unique data from protein consumption surveys from 131 households over 34 months in a generalizable empirical framework to estimate price, cross-price, and expenditure elasticities of protein sources, and analyze the potential economic effects of policies to mitigate Bushmeat hunting and consumption. Results suggest that: (1) directly increasing the price of Bushmeat through enforcement or other policies to reduce supply will have the most direct and largest effect of Bushmeat consumption; (2) increasing income increases Bushmeat consumption as well as consumption of other meat sources; (3) if surrounding fisheries experience a negative shock, or collapse, this will lead to a dramatic increase in Bushmeat consumption. Overall, these results strongly indicate that policies to reduce Bushmeat hunting while maintaining food security must be considered in a broad and comprehensive framework.
