Prices, poaching, and protein alternatives: An analysis of bushmeat consumption around Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Rentsch, Dennis; Damon, Amy L.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2013.03.021

Cited by 79 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Others, however, have indicated that people with higher incomes consume more bushmeat in African towns (East et al 2005) and that traded bushmeat is a luxury good among Africans living in Europe (Chaber et al 2010). These contrasting results, which have also been observed in rural locations (Coad et al 2010, Godoy et al 2010, Kümpel et al 2010, Rentsch and Damon 2013, could be explained by the variety of conditions found across study locations, such as bushmeat availability, prices, and people's preferences. There are four plausible explanations for why those with lower incomes are more likely to eat bushmeat in this study.…”

Section: Economic Correlatesmentioning

confidence: 51%

Cultural attitudes are stronger predictors of bushmeat consumption and preference than economic factors among urban Amazonians from Brazil and Colombia

Morsello¹,

Yagüe²,

Beltreschi³

et al. 2015

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Bushmeat consumption persists in urban areas in the Neotropics, yet knowledge of its scale and the relative importance of cultural and economic factors in determining consumption and preference remain elusive. Moreover, the roles of cultural beliefs, social norms, and attitudes in driving urban bushmeat consumption are rarely evaluated. Therefore, we explored in this article the factors that influence consumption and preference for bushmeat in Amazonian towns. Given the availability of other sources of animal protein and the cultural and social importance of bushmeat in the region, we hypothesized that cultural attributes should be better predictors than economic factors of bushmeat consumption and preference. Data analysis involved fitting two-level mixed-effects regressions (random intercepts) to a structured sample of 227 individuals (99 households) from four towns in the Brazilian (Tabatinga and Atalaia do Norte) and Colombian (Leticia and Puerto Nariño) Amazon. The results indicate that a third of the interviewees had consumed bushmeat in the past month, which had primarily been harvested by the family or received as a gift rather than obtained through trade. In general, both economic and cultural factors predicted bushmeat consumption and preference, but the objective proxy for culture, individual origin, was unimportant. Among the tested indicators, the strongest predictor was the importance of bushmeat to social relations. Moreover, informal social norms, such as the greater importance attributed to taboos, tended to decrease the average number of wild species that a person would eat, whereas attitudes toward the illegality of hunting were less important. The two economic indicators, increased income and wealth, tended to decrease preference for bushmeat and the likelihood of consumption. Our findings highlight the importance of human beliefs, attitudes, and social norms to the understanding of bushmeat consumption and preference and may contribute to the design of more effective and locally appropriate conservation and management strategies.

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Section: Economic Correlatesmentioning

confidence: 51%

Cultural attitudes are stronger predictors of bushmeat consumption and preference than economic factors among urban Amazonians from Brazil and Colombia

Morsello¹,

Yagüe²,

Beltreschi³

et al. 2015

E&S

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Offtake of wildebeest cannot be sustainable as long as communities continue to grow at an exponential rate and the per capita demand for bushmeat remains at the current level, and therefore new strategies to address bushmeat hunting are needed to ensure persistence of the wildebeest population. Additionally, evidence from Serengeti and other systems indicate that meat consumption, especially bushmeat, increases with household expenditure (Brashares et al, 2011;Rentsch & Damon, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of bushmeat consumption on migratory wildlife in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania

Rentsch

Packer

2014

Oryx

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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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“…African elephants are illegally killed for ivory and bushmeat in increasingly unsustainable numbers (Bennett et al, 2007;Lindsey et al, 2013;Maiselset al, 2013;Nellemann, Formo, Blanc, Skinner, Milliken, & De Meulenaer, 2013;Wittemyer, Daballen, & Douglas-Hamilton, 2013). Though wildlife poaching results in modest returns for entire communities, such illegal activity is often attractive to individuals because of the high associated private returns and limited benefits from legal wildlife based land uses (Lindsey et al, 2011;Lindsey et al, 2013;Rentsch & Damon, 2013). Furthermore, elephants often impose significant costs to communities via damage to crops (Lamarque et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in Illegal Killing of African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) in the Luangwa and Zambezi Ecosystems of Zambia

Nyirenda¹,

Lindsey²,

Phiri³

et al. 2015

ENRR

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The resurgence in African elephant (Loxodonta africana) poaching for ivory and bushmeat threatens the persistence of elephant populations, continent wide. In addressing the scourge, monitoring of illegal killings of elephants plays a key role in effectively directing counter measures. This study evaluated spatiotemporal trends and patterns in elephant poaching. Illegal killing of elephants occurred mostly along major rivers, mainly in late dry season during which period elephants were more vulnerable to illegal exploitation. However, during the wet season, retaliatory killings of "problem elephants" marauding crop fields also took place. Elephant poaching was attributed to socio-economic and ecological drivers such as high poverty levels, weak governance, high demand for elephant ivory, and low social capital. These drivers are likely to apply to other elephant range states as well. We propose that local strategies that empower communities economically, build broad-based law enforcement capacity in stakeholders to counter illegal killing of elephants, and which positively shift the risk/reward ratio for ivory poachers trade, be urgently developed and implemented.

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Prices, poaching, and protein alternatives: An analysis of bushmeat consumption around Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Cited by 79 publications

References 52 publications

Cultural attitudes are stronger predictors of bushmeat consumption and preference than economic factors among urban Amazonians from Brazil and Colombia

Cultural attitudes are stronger predictors of bushmeat consumption and preference than economic factors among urban Amazonians from Brazil and Colombia

The effect of bushmeat consumption on migratory wildlife in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania

Trends in Illegal Killing of African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) in the Luangwa and Zambezi Ecosystems of Zambia

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