Balancing the Interests of Wildlife and Humans Resulting in Sustainable Ecotourism: The Case of Boabeng-Fiema Monkeys’ Sanctuary, Ghana

Abstract

The paper employs the qualitative methodology to shed light on a sustainable ecotourism endeavour in two neighbouring rural communities in the Bono East Region in Ghana. The ethnographic research design was applied in the paper to explore the understanding, beliefs and behaviour of the respondents to describe the place and circumstances in which they live, and to analyse the impact the ecotourism endeavour is making in their communities. The main research instruments used to gather data for the study were individual interviews, observation and a focus group discussion. Most ecotourism development in Ghana has largely continued along the practices of colonial wildlife conservation and forestry which failed to consider the needs of the affected local communities. This approach to development most often disadvantages the affected communities and creates tension between the communities and the developers while at the same time misses out on the narratives on the environment, expertise and marginalisation of local ecological knowledge. The Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) where the ecotourism endeavour was established some decades ago provides habitat for two monkey species, the black-and-white colobus (Colobus vellerosus), and mona monkey (Cercopithecus campbelli), which co-exist with the inhabitants of the twin villages of Boabeng and Fiema. The monkeys are protected and revered as “children of the gods” by traditional taboos and historic cultural beliefs. This research found out that this ecotourism endeavour, which has been based on the belief systems and cultural traditions of the two communities, has resulted in a win-win situation for all the stakeholders. The study argues for creating knowledges that seek to speak back with the researched communities to benefit all the stakeholders.