Understanding consumer demand for bushmeat in urban centers of Cameroon with a focus on pangolin species

Linh Bao Nguyen,Etogekwe Esua Fossung,Camille Affana Nkoa,Tatyana Humle

doi:10.1111/csp2.419

Linh Bao Nguyen, Etogekwe Esua Fossung + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.419

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Abstract

AbstractBushmeat consumption remains significant in urban Central Africa. Increasing urbanization has fueled bushmeat trade and become a threat to endangered species like the pangolin. Behavioral change interventions may help reduce demand for pangolins in urban centers. However, there is still a lack of adequate locally‐specific research on consumer behavior and drivers of demand to effectively guide such interventions. Our study addressed this knowledge gap through semistructured interviews to investigate consumer preferences and bushmeat consumption habits and perceptions of 597 participants in Bertoua and Ebolowa, Cameroon. Bushmeat, in general, was positively perceived as a tasty, healthy, and luxurious item that meets cultural needs, while domestic meat was negatively perceived as an unhealthy and intensively processed product. The biggest barriers to bushmeat consumption were its illegality and high price. Pangolin was among the most desired types of bushmeat. Nearly half of pangolin consumers were willing to pay more for a pangolin meal. Despite being fully protected by national laws, pangolins were consistently found in local bushmeat markets and restaurants, suggesting the ineffectiveness in law enforcement and/or communication with the public about the legal protection and current status of pangolins. Our findings provide an understanding of sociocultural consumer behavior and drivers that can help guide bushmeat demand reduction interventions in urban centers of Cameroon.

Highlights

Central Africa's Congo Basin is the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world, and while it is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on Earth, it is highly essential for the livelihoods of millions of inhabitants (Somorin et al, 2012)
Commercial trade has led to drastic population declines in Asian pangolins (Challender, Heinrich, Shepherd, & Katsis, 2020; Heinrich et al, 2016)
Findings of the study will be useful in developing effective consumer-centered interventions and sustainable commercial bushmeat policies aimed at reducing demand for threatened species, pangolins, in urban centers of Cameroon

Summary

| INTRODUCTION

Central Africa's Congo Basin is the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world, and while it is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on Earth, it is highly essential for the livelihoods of millions of inhabitants (Somorin et al, 2012). Combined with the largest threat, which is the intercontinental trade between Central Africa and Asia, an increasing local demand for bushmeat and pangolin scales will have severe impacts on wild pangolin populations. Reduction of urban demand for bushmeat is crucial for ensuring the survival of endangered species and the well-being of rural dwellers Disciplines such as social marketing have been widely applied in Asia, and are advocated in recent literature for their potential to reduce demand for illegal wildlife products (Burgess, Olmedo, Veríssimo, & Waterman, 2020; Challender & Macmillan, 2014; Drury, 2011; Verissimo, Challender, & Nijman, 2012). Findings of the study will be useful in developing effective consumer-centered interventions and sustainable commercial bushmeat policies aimed at reducing demand for threatened species, pangolins, in urban centers of Cameroon

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| DISCUSSION