Abstract
Bushmeat hunting is widespread in villages adjacent to protected areas in Western Serengeti. However, little information is available about the role of bushmeat income in the household economy as a function of distance from the protected area boundary, preventing the formulation of informed policy for regulating this illegal trade. This study was conducted in three villages in Western Serengeti at distances of 3 (closest), 27 (intermediate) and 58km (furthest) from the boundary of Serengeti National Park to assess the contribution of bushmeat to household income. The sample consists of 246 households of which 96 hunted or traded bushmeat, identified using snowball sampling through the aid of local informers. The average income earned from bushmeat was significantly higher for bushmeat traders than hunters. The contribution of bushmeat to household income was significantly higher in Robanda the village closest to the protected area boundary compared to Rwamkoma and Kowak, the more distant villages. A Heckman sample-selection model reveals that household participation in hunting and trading bushmeat was negatively associated with distance to the protected area boundary and with the household head being female. Household reliance on bushmeat income was negatively associated with age and gender of the household head and distance to the protected area boundary. Hence, efforts to reduce involvement in hunting, and trading bushmeat should target male-headed households close to the protected area boundary.
Highlights
Bushmeat contributes significantly to household income and food security in many locations across Sub-Saharan Africa (Lindsey et al, 2013; Nielsen et al, 2017; Ahmadi et al, 2018)
This study found that households participating in hunting and trading bushmeat in more distant villages relied more on agricultural and non-agricultural income than bushmeat income whereas, in the closest village, most households participating in hunting and trading bushmeat had a lower contribution of income from other sources (Figure 5)
This study shows that bushmeat is an important source of income for hunters and bushmeat traders, in the village close to the PA boundary
Summary
Bushmeat contributes significantly to household income and food security in many locations across Sub-Saharan Africa (Lindsey et al, 2013; Nielsen et al, 2017; Ahmadi et al, 2018). Most remaining wildlife resources are found in protected areas where hunting is prohibited (Costello et al, 2008). The fact that hunting is illegal in many locations makes obtaining information about the revenue generated from this resource difficult. The design of effective policies to reduce illegal bushmeat hunting require information about the importance of bushmeat in household economies (Knapp et al, 2017). Wildlife hunted for human consumption is a valuable ecosystem service to the poor who otherwise see few benefits from protected areas (Coad et al, 2010; Schulte-Herbrüggen et al, 2013; Fischer et al, 2014). Quantifying the value of this ecosystem service is important to predict the consequences of enhanced enforcement, reducing the availability of this resource to local people (Golden et al, 2014)
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