A Working Paper by William Olupot, Alastair J. McNeilage and Andrew J. Plumptre
Summary
Unsustainable hunting of wildlife for bushmeat is a threat to sustainability of long-term benefits. This is at least apparent for Uganda which underwent a period of breakdown of law and order during the mid 1970s to early 1980s. The breakdown led to massive hunting and drastic wildlife population declines and species extinctions and this was paralleled by decline in the tourism industry. Before then, Uganda had been a prime tourist destination with Murchison Falls National Park as one of the top tourism destinations in Africa.
We studied patterns of illegal bushmeat offtake and drivers of illegal hunting in and around Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA), Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area (QECA) (Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Wildlife Reserve, and Kigezi Wildlife Reserve), Rwenzori Mountains National Park (RMNP), and the Kafu River Basin. Bushmeat hunting is illegal in Uganda except for licensed sport hunting at a few sites and supervised control of bush pigs which are classified as vermin. All study sites are savanna or mixtures of woodland and savanna, except for RMNP which is forested. We collected data using household surveys, observation, and interviews with poachers who had surrendered to the authorities. From urban sites, we collected data on bushmeat availability and pricing.
In general, we found that except for households headed by hunters, bushmeat was a less important source of protein than domestic livestock and fish for the households in the study sites. Hunters however heavily depended on bushmeat as a source of both income and food. Poverty and cultural attachment were cited as the main reasons for bushmeat exploitation. Bushmeat-eating households regard bushmeat as more tasty and medicinal than livestock meat and fish. Animal parts are also valued for spiritual uses and this is what in part drives hunting of some species. Crop raiding and other forms of human wildlife conflict also drive illegal hunting but on a smaller scale than hunting for bushmeat.
Experience in Uganda has shown that unregulated hunting is unsustainable. Potential solutions to the problem of illegal wildlife hunting lie in strengthening law enforcement, increasing conservation education, reducing human-wildlife conflict, and better formal education, alternative income, and alternative livelihood occupations. Land use planning including components of wildlife management if instituted in wildlife rich privately owned lands should greatly enhance wildlife conservation in those lands.
Download the Working Paper on Bushmeat Socioeconomics in Uganda
