Economic commodity or environmental crisis? An interdisciplinary approach to analysing the bushmeat trade in central and west Africa

Abstract

Bushmeat is a large but largely invisible contributor to the economies of west and central African countries. Yet the trade is currently unsustainable. Hunting is reducing wildlife populations, driving more vulnerable species to local and regional extinction, and threatening biodiversity. This paper uses a commodity chain approach to explore the bushmeat trade and to demonstrate why an interdisciplinary approach is required if the trade is to be sustainable in the future.

Marine Mammals in Asian Societies; Trends in Consumption, Bait, and Traditional Use

“…In addition, as human populations migrated to coastal areas, this also increased the need for aquatic resources (Jackson et al, 2001;O'Connor et al, 2011). The increased hunting of terrestrial wildlife for food and other uses is of global concern and many studies have been conducted on the extent of consumption (e.g., Fa et al, 2002;Bowen-Jones et al, 2003;Lee et al, 2014) and the driving forces behind trade (e.g., BowenJones and Pendry, 1999;Brashares et al, 2004;Rowcliffe et al, 2005;Lindsey et al, 2013). Similar concerns have emerged for the utilization of marine mammals, and other aquatic species, for consumption, bait, and traditional use (Alfaro-Shigueto and Van Waerebeek, 2001;Clapham and Van Waerebeek, 2007;Costello and Baker, 2011).…”

Bushmeat harvest in tropical forests: Knowledge base, gaps and research priorities

“…One complicating factor is that the commodity chains are quite variable. At times they might include only a hunter and his neighbors, but they may also stretch through many rural hunters to traders along the major transportation routes, to roadside restaurants or to market-stall owners, and finally to urban consumers (Bowen-Jones et al 2003). In Zimbabwe, bushmeat hunting is conducted mainly by unemployed young men to generate cash income, which is then used to purchase other food supplies (Lindsey et al 2011).…”

“…There are often significant obstacles to enforcing the existing laws (Rowcliffe et al 2004). The designation of protected areas and the establishment of hunting regulations depend on good governance, but few successful models of wildlife management exist (Brown 2003). Enforcement often entails intervening in the markets in which animal products are traded, but such regulation may affect the hunters only indirectly.…”

“…Hunting interventions can come at various points along the supply chain, which can allay some fears about the negative impact on those who hunt for their own consumption (Crookes and Milner-Gulland 2006). Brown (2003) states that "presumed illegality at all levels is neither conducive to the development of participatory management models or to broader governance reform," and argues that in light of the livelihood dependence on bushmeat, legal channels for bushmeat trade must be created and monitored.…”

“…More recently, they have also become an imperative for development professionals, because as target animal populations decline, the income and nutrition they provide also decline (Brown 2003 (Hongfa and Thomas 2008). After poaching or hunting is controlled, some species can recover quickly, but others remain disrupted because they are k-selected or because they are specifically hunted for trophies (Steinmetz et al 2010).…”