The bushmeat trade in African savannas: impacts, drivers, and possible solutions

Abstract

The bushmeat trade,orthe illegal acquisition and exchange ofwild meat,has long been recognised asa severe problem in forest biomes,but receives little attention insavann as,perhaps due toamisconcepti on that bushmeat hunting isalow-impact subsistence activity.Though data onimpacts are scarce,indications are that bushmeat hunting isawidespread problem insavannas,with severe impacts onwildlife popula- tions and wildlife-based land uses.The impacts ofthe bushmeat trade insavannas vary from edge-effects around protected areas,todisproportionate declines ofsome species,tosevere wildlife declines inareas with inadequate anti-poachi ng.Insome areas,bushmeat contribu tes significantlytofood security,but these benefits are unsustainable,and hunting iswasteful,utilising afraction ofthe wildlife killed orof its financialvalue obtainable through tourism,trophy hunting and/or legal game meat produc tion.The bushmeat trade appears to bebecoming increasingly commercialised due toelev ated demand inrural areas, urban centres and even overseas cities.Other drivers for the trade include human encroachment of wildlife areas;poverty and food insecurity;and inadequate lega lframew orks toenable communities to benefitlegally from wildlife,and tocreate incentives for people todesist from illegal bushmeat hunting. These drivers are exacerbated byinadequate wildlife laws and enforcement and insome areas,political instability. Urgent efforts are needed toaddress these drivers and rais eawareness among local and international governments ofthe seri ousness ofthe threat.Failure toaddress this will result insevere wildlife declines widely inAfrican savann as,with significantecological,economic and social impacts.