Cross River National Park and Communities: Is Authoritarian Park Protection the Answer?

Oliver O O Enuoh,Augustine U Ogogo

doi:10.5539/jsd.v11n5p212

Abstract

Cross River National Park (CRNP) is a rainforest biodiversity hotspot and region of species endemism in Nigeria. It has solid minerals, valuable timber, assorted fauna species, rich agricultural lands, medicinal plants and several other plant species that are new to science. The formal establishment of the park in 1991 was anchored on the global ecological importance attached to the region. Instead of implementing the resettlement of enclave communities and a 7 year livelihoods program, as was originally proposed in the park management plan (prepared by WWF and ODNRI in 1989), the park has been concentrating on authoritarian protection as park management strategy. Using a combination of document research, participatory rural appraisal techniques and rural livelihoods survey, the study assesses the effectiveness of authoritarian protection in the midst of economic and ecological contestations in CRNP. Findings reveal that donor partners abandoned CRNP in 1995 without implementing the resettlement and buffer zone livelihoods program. This led to the explosion of commercial bush meat hunting activities in the park (despite authoritarian protection). The paper argues that authoritarian protection alone cannot save biodiversity in CRNP. It presents the perspectives and conservation standpoints of buffer zone communities on the bush meat crisis and how to address it in CRNP. It highlights the need for the creation of arenas for finding common ground on all contentious issues threatening biodiversity conservation in CRNP, the need to revisit the drawing board and donor return, and the present and future dangers facing CRNP if nothing is done.

Highlights

The tropical rainforest of Cross River State of Nigeria, is ecologically treasured as one of the twenty five biodiversity hotspots in the world
This paper explores commercial bush meat hunting activities in Cross River National Park (CRNP), amidst authoritarian protection, which is all the park has been carrying out, following the abandonment of people oriented programs by World Wide Fund (WWF) in 1998 and the EU, in 1996
Field research activities took place in CRNP and selected buffer zone communities (Abo Mkpang in Okwangwo division and Old Ekuri in Oban division of the park), as well as one non–buffer zone community (Akwa Ibami), all located in Cross River State of Nigeria, West Africa

Summary

Introduction

The tropical rainforest of Cross River State of Nigeria (within the lowland Guinean forest of West Africa), is ecologically treasured as one of the twenty five biodiversity hotspots in the world. In 1986 and 1987, the tropical rainforest of Cross River State was accorded international recognition as important and worthy of special conservation attention, through three IUCN publications:. Action strategy for Protected Areas in the Afro-Tropical Realm; and (c ). Review of the Protected Area system in the Afro-Tropical Realm. The three publications “emphasized the extreme biological richness of the resource, its unique intact status, and the increasing threats to its integrity represented by uncontrolled farming, logging and hunting activities” (WWF/ODNRI 1989:8). The creation of the park resulted in 105 buffer zone communities being stripped of their rights to forest resources exploitation in the park territory, culminating in economic contestations and park – people conflicts

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Conclusion