Mapping the availability of bushmeat for consumption in Central African cities

Julia E Fa,Jesús Olivero,David S Wilkie,Robert Mwinyihali,Ana Luz Márquez,Luc Mayet,Stephan M Funk,Miguel Ángel Farfán,Divin Malekani,Michelle Wieland,Fanny Guio,Juliet H Wright,Charles Holo Louzolo

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ab36fa

Abstract

The trade of bushmeat from rural areas to supply burgeoning cities is a major conservation and livelihood concern. Using a whole-city sampling strategy we mapped the distribution and numbers of meat outlets in the Kinshasa–Brazzaville metropolitan area, two neighboring capital cities in Central Africa. We show that both cities differ in the number and density of meat outlets, with more in Brazzaville per area sampled and inhabitants. The number of meat outlets is related to human population densities and primarily concentrated along the banks of the Congo River, in the more affluent areas of the cities. Across the two cities, roughly 22% of all sampled markets (50% in Brazzaville and 19% in Kinshasa) and 24% of all visited restaurants (24% in each city) were selling bushmeat during our survey. Despite the relatively low number of establishments offering bushmeat for sale, extrapolated to the entire area and population of both cities, we expect the overall amount of wild animal meat consumed per annum to be significantly high. We suggest that the supply of such numbers of wild animal meat will strongly impact the animal populations sourcing these cities. Our data also indicate that the number of domestic meat outlets may be adequate to supply urban dwellers with sufficient animal protein.

Highlights

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the meat of wild animals, wild meat or bushmeat, is a highly valuable non-timber forest product
Urban consumers of bushmeat live either in (a) provincial towns close to sources of wildlife where livestock production is uncommon and market access makes imported animal source foods unavailable or unaffordable, or (b) large metropolitan areas far from sources of wildlife where bushmeat is no longer a dietary necessity and more a cultural desire to connect to a rural past (Wilkie et al 2005)
Density and distribution of meat outlets Within the 58 1 km2 randomly located squares we counted a total of 5563 meat outlets (Brazzaville-1190; Kinshasa-4373)—butchers, cold stores, food shops, formal restaurants, informal restaurants, markets and street meat vendors

Summary

Introduction

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the meat of wild animals, wild meat or bushmeat, is a highly valuable non-timber forest product. Urban consumers of bushmeat live either in (a) provincial towns close to sources of wildlife where livestock production is uncommon and market access makes imported animal source foods unavailable or unaffordable, or (b) large metropolitan areas far from sources of wildlife where bushmeat is no longer a dietary necessity and more a cultural desire to connect to a rural past (Wilkie et al 2005). Urban consumer willingness to pay relatively high prices encourages rural hunters to increase the amount they take and the proportion they sell to gain income as well as food (de Merode et al 2004, Bennett et al 2007, Grande-Vega et al 2016). It encourages non-local hunters to enter the market

Methods

Results

Conclusion