Mammal conservation status and prospects for community-based wildlife management in coastal Guinea-Bissau, West Africa

Abstract

In Guinea-Bissau, wildlife species in general and mammals in particular are suffering increasing pressure, mainly from overhunting and habitat reduction and fragmentation. The lack of reliable data on wildlife distribution and population trends is an important constraint to effective wildlife management based on the conservation needs of the different species. The aim of this study was to assess the current conservation status of large- and medium-sized mammals in the coastal zone of Guinea-Bissau and to analyse the prospects for implementing community-based wildlife management schemes in that country. To assess mammal species distribution and abundance, ground surveys combining line transect sampling with reconnaissance walks were carried out in randomly selected locations within the study sites. Density estimates were obtained using the software Distance 3.5. and different manual calculation methods. For most species, a relative abundance was estimated using the encounter rate per surveyed kilometre. Data on wildlife use patterns and perception by local communities were collected through semi-structured group interviews and informal interviews in villages within and around the surveyed sites. The occurrence of about 44 large and medium-sized mammal species from 15 families was confirmed in the coastal area of Guinea Bissau. Some species of high conservation value, particularly Chimpanzees P. troglodytes verus, Western pied Colobus C. p. polykomos and Red Colobus P. badius temminckii, still occur in restricted areas within and outside Of existing protected areas. However, there is evidence of the degradation of most mammals conservation status, mostly due to hunting and habitat loss. A few mammal species has benefited from local and traditional conservation practices and measures, for their role in local culture. Further opportunities for community-based wildlife management include increasing awareness in local communities on wildlife conservation need and benefits, existent traditional regulating mechanisms, valuable local knowledge on natural resources and increasing official recognition and integration of participatory management principles. Important constraints still remain, among which increasing pressure and rapid decline in wildlife resources, lack of information on specific wildlife and ecological issues and rapid weakening of traditional management structures and regulating mechanisms, which are usually not officially recognised. There is a need of developing cost-effective wildlife monitoring programmes and long-term detailed studies in order to regularly update information on most endangered species and to provide in this way scientific basis to management measures. Additionally, the legal measures must be urgently reinforced, in order to improve the conservation status of some threatened species and ecosystems with high conservation value. Locally adapted strategies, including political/legal support to local and traditional management structures, economic and other incentives and scientific support to decision making are the key to successful implementation of viable community-based wildlife management schemes in Guinea-Bissau.