Determinants of bushmeat supply sources in rural areas of Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

The bushmeat trade provides an income to hunters, transporters, and vendors living in the vicinity of protected areas but remains a challenge to wildlife conservation objectives. The key factors driving the source, choice and use of bushmeat vary among actors in the commercial bushmeat value chain, and insights into these determinants are required to facilitate the development of conservation strategies. Therefore, we aimed to identify the socioeconomic factors that explain the source of supply and quantities of bushmeat available in households and local restaurants. We carried out a survey with 144 rural household heads and 24 restaurant owners in 20 villages in the Western part of Taï National Park in Côte d’Ivoire. We found that bushmeat quantity and species diversity were low in households, originating mainly from subsistence hunting. However, both the amount of bushmeat and the variety of species were high in restaurants and primarily supplied by commercial hunters. Furthermore, the quantity of bushmeat was lower in households with other protein sources and in restaurants in villages that had been the target of more conservation awareness campaigns. We highlight the importance of understanding the determinants of bushmeat supply to regulate the bushmeat trade by applying relevant conservation interventions.