An assessment of socio-economic drivers of avian body parts trade in West African rainforests

Atuo, Fidelis A.; Jonas, Timothy; Peter, Uetz

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.08.013

Cited by 28 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In fact, the low risk of detection, relatively small penalties and minimal consequences for perpetrating wildlife crime, allied with the lack of enforcement and basic governance structures of local authorities, constitute attractive incentives to participate in this illegal activity (Ratchford et al 2013), although this is difficult to measure and evaluate. In sum, our results highlight that conservation measures for trafficked bird species should incorporate interactions between environmental, cultural and socioeconomic drivers, promoting actions capable of reducing the current level of exploitation (e.g., Alves et al 2013b, Atuo et al 2015, Tella & Hiraldo 2014. Thus, in order to reduce illegal captures, it is essential to implement effective public policies that involve education, policing/enforcement, the creation of alternative sources of income and proactive ecosystem management and conservation (e.g., Fernandes-Ferreira et al 2012, Santos & Araujo 2015, Souza & Alves 2014, while always considering a multiple spatial-scale approach (Cumming et al 2015, McGarigal et al 2016.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…This is contrasted with a common association between the high incidence of captive birds in areas with low socioeconomic index scores (Alves et al 2013b, Regueira & Bernard 2012. In fact, previous studies have pointed out that socioeconomic factors are the best predictors of poacher participation in the avian trade in Brazil (e.g., Gama & Sassi 2008, Santos & Araujo 2015, Souto et al, 2017 and other developing countries, such as Mexico (González-Marín et al, 2016), Zimbabwe (Lindsey et al 2011), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Nasi et al 2011) and Nigeria (Atuo et al 2015). In this context, where high unemployment rates and low levels of formal education conditions prevail, activities related to the illegal bird trade would be very lucrative (Alves et al 2013a) and would provide additional income sources to families (Souto et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Species richness was also noteworthy as an important driver of fauna capture in the north and mid-west, as in African countries where poachers have focused efforts on areas that contain higher numbers of species and individuals (Atuo et al 2015, Maingi et al 2012. In fact, in the northern region of Brazil, most of the ten species display a marginal distribution to the eastern Amazon, coinciding with the location of source municipalities, while in the mid-west region they present a great overlap with the Pantanal biome, where most of the selected municipalities are located.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparing environmental and socioeconomic drivers of illegal capture of wild birds in Brazil

2019

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SummaryIn order to conserve species exploited by trafficking, governmental actions should be directed to source areas, aiming to reduce or eliminate illegal and indiscriminate trapping. However, few studies have diagnosed and prioritized the most relevant drivers of the illegal capture of wild animals. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the main drivers of the illegal capture of wild birds in Brazil. A literature review and a multivariate modelling approach indicated the economic, social and environmental factors that display the greatest influence in boosting this illicit activity worldwide. Our search revealed seven drivers of illegal wildlife capture addressed by researchers in studies carried out in source countries. This is the first broad-scale study in Brazil showing that higher native vegetation coverage and greater proximity to protected areas were the main drivers of illegal wild bird capture for trafficking. Thus, actions that aim to protect species threatened by trafficking require a multidisciplinary approach encompassing social, economic and environmental factors.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparing environmental and socioeconomic drivers of illegal capture of wild birds in Brazil

2019

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“…Moreover, while persecution for sorcery and traditional medicine was most frequently recognised in the threat ranking exercise, many respondents (>28%) regarded this as a positive way of exploiting vultures or was not against it. As this practice has caused severe declines and even local extinctions in other West African countries [ 26 , 33 , 42 , 68 , 80 ], its mention during interviews should constitute a matter for concern. The evidence of a sudden collapse of Hooded vulture populations in Ghana in only 10 years, attributed mostly to transboundary trade for traditional medicine [ 68 ], is an example of the devastation that may come with this practice.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Not in wilderness: African vulture strongholds remain in areas with high human density

Henriques

Granadeiro

Monteiro³

et al. 2018

PLoS ONE

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Vultures constitute an important functional group in many ecosystems, providing crucial ecosystem services both in natural and humanized environments. These scavengers are facing massive declines worldwide, but in several African countries virtually nothing is known on populations’ status and threats, hampering the development of adequate conservation strategies. In Guinea-Bissau, globally important populations of Hooded Necrosyrtes monachus and African white-backed vultures Gyps africanus were recently reported. Using the country as a study area, we aim to characterize human-vulture interactions in West Africa applying a multidisciplinary approach. We assessed the status and distribution of vulture populations using data from 1711 km of roadside transects, examined predictors of their distribution, and produced a nationwide population estimate for the Hooded Vulture, using an innovative method based on the relationship between the size of human population in settlements and vulture numbers. We conducted 47 stakeholder interviews to assess perceived roles played by vultures, and to investigate potential anthropogenic threats. Hooded vultures were strongly associated with high human population densities, whereas no relation was found between African white-backed and Rüppell’s vultures and any of the tested predictors, which included cattle density, precipitation and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, among others. We estimate a national population of 43347 Hooded vultures, the largest population reported in the species range. Respondents were generally aware of the services provided by vultures, especially waste and carcass removal, including in urban areas. Hunting for witchcraft and traditional medicine was the most frequently recognised threat, while poisoning was ranked as having the highest impact. We hypothesise that poisoning-related mortality may be affecting African white-backed and Rüppell’s vultures’ distribution and explain their scarcity in apparently highly suitable habitats. Our results suggest a mutualistic rather than a commensalistic relationship between vultures and humans, with important implications for designing and implementing conservation strategies.

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“…This result, as well as our observations in the field, confirms the growing threats of habitat loss and hunting to African hornbills (Trail , Atuo et al . , Whytock et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest cover, hunting pressure, and fruit availability influence seed dispersal in a forest‐savanna mosaic in the Congo Basin

et al. 2017

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Forest fragmentation, reduced forest cover, and hunting pressure are the main threats affecting animal‐mediated seed dispersal. However, their combined effects on seed dispersal rates have been simultaneously investigated only rarely, and never in Africa. We aimed to disentangle the effects of forest cover, hunting pressure, frugivore abundance, and fruit availability at the local and landscape scales on the seed dispersal rates of Staudtia kamerunensis (Myristicaceae). To estimate the percentages of seed dispersal failure (undispersed seeds), we quantitated fruit remains below fruiting trees distributed across five contrasting sites in a semi‐natural forest‐savanna mosaic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We used statistical analyses accounting for spatial autocorrelation and found that forest cover in the surrounding landscape, hunting level, the associated abundance of dispersers, and fruit availability all had significant effects on the percentage of seed dispersal failure. The combination of high fruit availability and reduced abundance of seed dispersers could accelerate seed disperser satiation, causing the seed dispersal system to be saturated. Our study highlights how two major factors associated with anthropogenic activities, forest cover and hunting, affect seed dispersal by animals. These findings could have far‐reaching implications for our understanding of tree‐frugivore interactions and the conservation of tropical communities.

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An assessment of socio-economic drivers of avian body parts trade in West African rainforests

Cited by 28 publications

References 16 publications

Comparing environmental and socioeconomic drivers of illegal capture of wild birds in Brazil

Comparing environmental and socioeconomic drivers of illegal capture of wild birds in Brazil

Not in wilderness: African vulture strongholds remain in areas with high human density

Forest cover, hunting pressure, and fruit availability influence seed dispersal in a forest‐savanna mosaic in the Congo Basin

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