From forest to table: discovering bushmeat, the meat of wild animals

A source of food and income

The meat of wild animals (bushmeat) has always been an extremely important source of food and income for many African populations, who hunt bats, monkeys, rats, snakes and other wild animals for their own subsistence. Smoked, dried or cooked, this meat represents a valuable source of protein for rural communities, where raising domestic animals is too expensive or impractical. In the forests of Central Africa, the total volume of wild animal harvesting is estimated at between 1 and 4.9 million tonnes equivalent per year. In rural communities in Cameroon, where opportunities to purchase alternative sources of protein are very limited, wild meat accounts for between 80% and 98% of animal protein consumption. In many rural areas, the consumption of bushmeat7 increases seasonally, for example during the periods between one harvest and the next, during the dry season, when fish is unavailable, and when households have lower incomes.

The value of bushmeat

Wild animal meat is highly appreciated in Africa, but it is also very expensive. Its importance in the household economy varies depending on the location, ranging from 38% to more than 90% of household income. Historically, bushmeat was sold locally but today, with population growth, wild meat has become a source of income that meets not only the subsistence needs of many local populations, but also their economic needs, thanks to trade that now largely takes place outside traditional hunting areas.

From subsistence to trade

No longer managed by local hunters, wild animal harvesting now relies on modern firearms and exploits the extensive network of new roads opened by the logging industry within forest concessions. Hunters can empty a forest or wetland within a few nights, gaining access to local, urban and international markets; as forests become depleted of animals, the price of wild meat rises dramatically, turning it into a luxury product for urban elites.

The impact on biodiversity

Biologists and environmentalists are particularly concerned about the large-scale commercial hunting of slow-reproducing species, such as great apes. On the island of Bioko, off the coast of Equatorial Guinea, hunting has decimated the populations of the island’s seven endemic monkey species, all of which are at risk of extinction. Forest elephants, which are considered at risk of extinction, are also hunted for their meat in some areas of Central Africa, while their tusks, which supply the ivory trade, are merely a by-product.

Health risks

Activities associated with the hunting and consumption of bushmeat have been linked to numerous outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases, such as Ebola, HIV and SARS; the growing demand for wild meat exposes an increasing number of people to these pathogens. The highest risk occurs during the slaughtering of animals: the number of people involved in slaughtering is in fact much greater than the number of those who hunt.
Regulations that are difficult to enforce
For this reason, and in order to avoid the risk of extinction of many species, numerous attempts have been made to reduce the harvesting and consumption of wild meat outside the areas where these activities traditionally take place. For many local populations, permits exist for the harvesting of many wild species. Although many African countries now prohibit the hunting of threatened species and require hunters and wild meat sellers to purchase permits, weak or difficult enforcement of regulations has allowed the trade in this meat to continue to thrive and grow. Apart from the health risk, the greatest concern today is the impact of excessive hunting on fragile forest ecosystems, driven by the growing demand for bushmeat in large cities, particularly Brazzaville and Kinshasa, which together have a population of 16 million.

Possible alternatives

Many studies have shown that when the cost of domestically produced meat is too high, both urban and rural consumers naturally tend to choose wild meat. Targeted price controls or subsidies for domestically raised livestock would make beef more competitive than wild meat. Furthermore, investing in aquaculture and poultry farming would help supply local markets, such as “chop bars”, absorbing demand that would otherwise be met through hunting.

Between reduction and local traditions

The consumption of bushmeat can and must be reduced, but not abolished; wild meat is part of many local cultures, and any attempt to ban its harvesting could only drive the trade underground, giving rise to illegal markets with a greater risk of biodiversity loss and a greater risk of disease transmission.

Author: Riccardo Fortina