Recipes for Survival_English_tcm46-28192

8RECIPES FOR SURVIVALExecutive SummaryThe bushmeat trade provides a staple in the diet of the people of West and Central Africa,as well as in many other parts of the world under different names (wild-meat, game, bushtucker,chop, etc.). Over a thousand species are hunted / traded, from caterpillars toelephants, but many of these species are facing population crashes through overexploitationfor commercial purposes. This ‘bushmeat crisis’ will inevitably lead to speciesextinction and consequent protein shortages unless it can be brought under control. Thereare also serious public health concerns regarding potential zoonoses on poorly preservedbushmeat. Thus, for bushmeat to be acceptable, it must be legal, sustainable and diseasefree(or ‘LSD’, Redmond, In press). In other words, Legal – no hunting or trading ofprotected species or hunting in protected areas; Sustainable – numbers hunted must beless than or equal to reproductive capacity, and Disease-free – markets should be subjectto meat inspections and other public health regulations the same as domestic meat.These are the standards that, if enforced, would protect endangered species, publichealth, food security and sustainable livelihoods. In an ideal world, the animals wouldalso be killed using humane methods, thereby reducing animal suffering too.Bushmeat and apesDespite the wide range of taxa and the complex issues involved, media coverage of the‘bushmeat crisis’ has focused largely on the great apes. Bushmeat, however, is seldomape-meat. Surveys of African markets have shown that ape-meat, if present, comprisesonly one or two per cent of the trade (Stein, 2002b); the rest is mostly meat of forestungulates, large-bodied rodents and monkeys. Even so, ape populations decline underalmost any level of hunting, because they reproduce so slowly and the sudden deathof key individuals disrupts their complex societies.What of the few cultures for whom eating apes is a tradition? It is important that peoplewho grew up thinking it normal to eat gorilla, chimpanzee or bonobo body-parts, arenot demonised by those who baulk at the thought. But equally, people who do eatapes must realise that they will stop doing so soon. At current inferred rates of decline– there will simply be none left within our lifetime. Surely it is better to stop now,by choice, than later by extinction?EXECUTIVE SUMMARYConclusionsThis review set out to examine the current state of knowledge of the bushmeat trade,and how the conservation community has reacted to the bushmeat crisis. Manyorganisations have raised money to respond to the threats posed to charismaticendangered species; it is interesting to note how this money has been applied. Insummary, the results show:• Hundreds of species are being hunted for food but surprisingly, preliminary resultsshow that 45 per cent of them are insects, and only 23 per cent mammals and 20per cent bird species.• 27% of recorded mammals, 63% of birds, 61% of reptiles and 35% of amphibianshunted are listed by IUCN as endangered or vulnerable to extinction.• The greatest number of recorded bushmeat projects concern research at 24%, theneducation at 11% and protection 9%. Very few projects address the issue of providingalternative protein sources, better management of wildlife or alternative livelihoods.• The number of projects commencing per year increased dramatically in 1999 and2000; the first Ape Alliance bushmeat review was published in 1998.• The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has the most projects (58), followed byCameroon (53), Gabon (35) and Congo (23), but most countries have only one or ahandful. The USA ranks third with 47 projects, but these are mainly awareness raisingand education.How can the bushmeat trade be controlled?Whilst it is clearly necessary to understand a problem before designing a solution,there is a growing feeling that more research is not the top priority at this stage. Otheractivities urgently need funding if the bushmeat trade is to be reduced to sustainableoff-take levels of legally hunted species. These activities include (in no particular order):Education – is needed at every level of society, and materials / activities must be tailoredto the target audience: in villages with hunters and traders, in urban markets / restaurantswith traders and consumers; law-enforcement agents, judiciary and decision-makers.Further funding is also needed for NGOs and Education Ministries to reproduceeducational materials for schools and wildlife centres. Training should be provided forenvironmental journalists to increase the number and quality of articles in local pressand stories on local radio / television news channels. The Great Ape Film Initiative hasestablished a system of increasing the number of ape documentaries shown in rangestates, but it limited by lack of funds.Wildlife law enforcement and prosecution – is weak throughout the regions wherebushmeat is traded. There is an urgent need to:• build the capacity of law enforcement agencies,9