Local demand drives a bushmeat industry in a Philippine forest preserve

College

College of Science

Department/Unit

Biology

Document Type

Article

Source Title

Tropical Conservation Science

Volume

5

Issue

2

First Page

133

Last Page

141

Publication Date

7-9-2012

Abstract

Unregulated hunting can severely affect wildlife populations, particularly in the tropics. From May to October, 2011, we documented target species, hunting techniques, and demand and sale of bushmeat from a local community located at the base of a forested National Park on an isolated mountain (over 10,000 ha) in southern Luzon, the Philippines. The prey taken by hunters (i.e., poachers) included 22 invertebrate and vertebrate species. The main prey items were fruit-eating birds, bats, civets and wild pigs, but the most sought-after prey were flying foxes. Money was the major driver of bushmeat hunting in our study area. Bushmeat was sold and consumed almost entirely by residents of the local community and nearby towns, as hunters stated that they do not have demand from regional urban markets. Localized consumption suggests that focused conservation efforts may be effective in reducing the documented hunting pressures. Fines for hunting endangered species, according to hunters, were a deterrent. Because of limited law enforcement in our study area, however, conservation efforts such as teaching local hunters to avoid endangered species or encouraging them to monitor local animal populations may be the best bottom-up approach to minimize the negative effects of hunting.

html

Disciplines

Biology

Keywords

Hunting—Philippines; Wildlife as food—Philippines; Wildlife conservation—Philippines

Upload File

wf_no

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS