The bush meat trade in Africa causes a great rick to wildlife on the continent. It has been a way of life for local communities for generations. Unfortunately the commercial trade in bush meat has turned the risk into a crisis for many African animal species.
This seminar was given by Peter Lindsey PHD from Panthera big cat conservation group. He gave an. Informative overview of the effects and impact of the bush meat trade on African mammal life. It was pretty hard hitting with some gory photos and not sugar coating the situation.
This is defiantly a major issue for African wildlife conservation, were many hunters use snare traps many different species are caught as the snares are none selective catching whatever walks into it from impala to lions. At first I thought that bush meat was just bought and eaten just by local people which was why for a while I was on the fence about it. On one hand endangered species are being killed yet on the other hand many people are very pore and need this food feed there family. However I wasn’t aware that there was such a large commercial, with bush meat being sold out of Africa in London and Paris. Along with is the source is not sustainable as there species are not kept or farmed like domestic chickens or cattle.
Peter informed us that one of the reasons for the increase in the trade is the lack of funding for conservation, which is frustrating as the area is supposed to be protected. There are multiple ways to diminish the trade in bush, An increase anti-patch patrols in high risk areas like Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia, increase severity of punishment which is currently pretty poor, land use planning (putting a limit on the building of human settlement) an assign land right to local people on game management land so they have motivation to protect it. Along with is some species can be made sustainable, through sustainable game which is done in Namibia which work’s is profitable and reduces pressure on endangered species. This sounds like a doable process that can reduce the crises on Africa’s endangered species.
This was an interesting seminar which gave an incite in to the bush meat trade in Africa and how it can be combated. As with many threats to African wildlife there is still a way to go, but methods are being presented and will hopefully in the future have a great effect.
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This talk was really interesting and insightful into the bushmeat trade.
When Peter said that protected areas were receiving insufficient funds to manage effectively, part of me was shocked but not surprised. By introducing anti-poaching patrols local people are able to be recruited for them. I have read that local people are extremely effective as a part of anti-poacher patrols, because of their tracking skills.
I was surprised to learn that bushmeat (possibly illegally hunted?) was being sold to restaurants in London and Paris. Don’t people think about the repercussions for excessive demand? Something needs to done sooner rather than later.
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I was also shocked to hear that bush meat is being sold in cities such as London and Paris. I agree with you on the catch 22 about where to draw the line with bush meat hunting. Like you said some people rely on this meat to keep their families alive however the commercialisation of it is taking it too far. Hopefully in high risk areas such as Mozambique , hunters can be trained to become part of the ecotourism business, so they make money from the wildlife being alive and can still provide for their families.
I think there needs to be increased awareness about this issue – especially given as this meat is being exported internationally. I’m not sure whether people are aware that their food is coming from an unsustainable/illegal source, or they just aren’t educated in these wildlife issues. Either way, I think boycotting this meat in places like London and Paris may help to some extent to reduce hunting for commercial trade. As more wealthy nations, we should be aiding conservation efforts rather than exacerbating the problem.
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