The role of bushmeat in a West African agricultural landscape

Justine Shanti Alexander,James Oppong,James Mcnamara,J Marcus Rowcliffe,E.J Milner-Gulland

doi:10.1017/s0030605313001294

Abstract

AbstractThere is little information on the changing role of bushmeat hunting in the agricultural areas of West Africa. We assessed the status and role of bushmeat hunting and rural consumption in three communities in Ghana, through household surveys (n = 250), and interviews with hunters (n = 69), eatery owners (n = 18) and bushmeat traders (n = 3). Hunting was embedded within dynamic livelihood strategies, with two broad categories of hunters identified: a large group who targeted pests on their own farms using traps, and a smaller group of professional hunters. The professional hunters included a group of young men who hunted with dogs, and another group of older firearm hunters who tended to be members of Hunters’ Associations. All professional hunters reported a decline in bushmeat availability and expressed concerns about the viability of hunting as a livelihood. The frequency of consumption of bushmeat increased with distance from the region's main urban centre, Kumasi, but bushmeat was not found to be a major component of the diet in any of the villages. Few men self-identified as hunters, although bushmeat hunting continued to play an important role in the rural economy, primarily for crop protection. Conservation efforts need to consider the full spectrum of hunting behaviours. Specific measures should target forest-based hunters, who are more likely to damage forest ecosystems than crop pest hunters but also show more concern for the sustainability of hunting, and commitment to hunting as an institution.

Highlights

Conservationists formerly viewed the bushmeat trade as a threat to wildlife without considering the trade’s social dimensions and its potential benefits to livelihoodsJ
Farmer hunters reported hunting with traps themselves (7/10 households in Jachie, 18/35 households in Kwaman) or hiring professional hunters to hunt on their farms (3/10 households in Jachie, 17/35 of households in Kwaman)
We have shown that bushmeat hunting continues to play a role in the livelihoods of three rural communities in West Africa: as a means to mitigate pest damage, as a seasonal source of income, as an income safety net and as a source of food

Summary

Introduction

Conservationists formerly viewed the bushmeat trade as a threat to wildlife without considering the trade’s social dimensions and its potential benefits to livelihoodsJ. Since the late 1990s research has increasingly focused on the role played by bushmeat in rural livelihoods (de Merode et al, 2004; Crookes et al, 2007). Little attention has yet been paid to the role of bushmeat hunting in West Africa’s agricultural landscape. Many of West Africa’s large-bodied mammals have already declined or disappeared and the land has increasingly been converted from forest into agricultural land (Bennett et al, 2006). The time and resources that a household invests in hunting are likely to be highly dependent on the household’s agricultural activities (e.g. de Merode et al, 2004; Crookes et al, 2007). The role of bushmeat in household subsistence in West Africa’s rural areas is not well known (Crookes et al, 2007)

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