Innovative ways for conserving the ecosystem services provided by bushmeat SYMPOSIA ATBC 2014

Cairns, Australia

PARTICIPATORY MONITORING OF THE BUSHMEAT TRADE IN THE AMAZONIAN TRIFRONTIER (COLOMBIA, PERU & BRAZIL)

Daniel Cruz-Antia, María Paula Quiceno, Nathalie van Vliet, Lindon Jonhson Neves & Robert Nasi  

ü  Bushmeat is still fundamental for the subsistence of rural and urban communities in the Amazon, even in contexts of rapid socioeconomic transformations à push rural livelihoods away from the dependency on forest products.

ü Rural hunting: 150 000 tons/year (Nasi, Taber & van Vliet, 2011)

ü  L a c k o f i n f o r m a t i o n f o r u r b a n b u s h m e a t marketsàilegallity

ü  Insignificant: Because of availability and prices of domestic sources of protein (Rushton et al, 2005)

•  Iquitos, Loreto - Peru (Bodmer and Lozano 2001, Claggett 1998) •  Abaetetuba, Pará-Brazil (Baía et al 2010)

Bushmeat  and  the  rural  to  urban  transi1on

Research  ques1ons ü  Study case in a frontier region ü  Why is data on urban bushmeat trade so scarce in the

Amazon?

•  Is the trade insignificant? •  Is it invisible and difficult to assess because it occurs

in hidden markets? •  Is it because public institutions and research have

provided little efforts in quantifying its importance?

ü  Describe the structure and function of the bushmeat market chain

Study  area

Methods

ü  Diversity of approaches to describe and quantify the bushmeat market chain:  

Participatory observation

Informal and semi-estructured interviews

Participatory monitoring

What  did  we  find?    Results  

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23

8 2 2 11 10

26

HUNTERS MARKET SELLERS RESTAURANTS (FORMAL)

RESTAURANTS (INFORMAL)

Nu

mbe

r of

use

rs

Men Women

Stakeholders  in  the  bushmeat  market  chain  ü  195 users (115 hunters, 34 market sellers, 18 formal

restaurants and 28 informal restaurants)  

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Santa Rosa (Pe)

Caballococha & Atacuari River (Pe)

Islandia (Pe)

Puerto Nariño & Loretoyacu river (Col)

Leticia (Col)

Atalaia do Norte (Bra)

Benjamin Constant (Bra)

Tabatinga (Bra)

Number of users

Restaurants (Informal) Restaurants (Formal) Market sellers Hunters

Stakeholders  in  the  bushmeat  market  chain  

Surveillance (30% of users reported to be

penalized)

Hunters  Diversified  hunters Specialized  hunters

%  of  bushmeat  traded 35% 90%

Trade  network Short:  friends,  neighbours  

Long:  intermediaries,  traders

Type  of  meat Fresh Fresh,  smoked,  salted  

Use  of  landscape Use  mosaic  of  landscape  

74%  primary  forests

Mean  number  of  hunting  trips/month  

4 6

ü  29% rely exclusively on hunting

ü  Rural: boat, hunting trails by feet

ü  Peri-urban: roadways (motorbike, bycicle, public transportation)

Bushmeat  sellers  ü  Intermediaries

•  At ports or communities •  Cellphone, buy at low cost à USD$ 1.09/kg and

sell USD$ 3,29 / kg • 

ü  Market sellers •  Have fixed stalls that involve monthly rental fees •  Alternate with fish, chicken and clothing

BRAZIL COLOMBIA PERU

Fresh 4,7 7,0 4,3Salted/smoked 5,1 4,1Fresh 5,1Salted/smoked 5,1 3,3Fresh 5,1 6,2 4,3Salted/smoked 5,1 4,7Fresh 4,8 6,2 3,6Salted/smoked 5,1 3,6

Cuniculus paca

Tapirus terrestris

Pecari tajacu

Mazama americana

Average  price  of  bushmeat  kg  ($USD)Most    commercialized  

Commercialization  form

Bushmeat  sellers  

ü  Food stalls & restaurants:

•  In neighbourhoods, market places or touristic places

•  Dish USD$ 3.50 & USD$10

•  Cuniculus paca, Mazama americana and Pecari tajacu

Catchment  area  and  trade  routes  ü  Flows are limited by control operations and costs of

transportation and supplies, and vary according to the availability of fish and the demand from coca workers  

Species  composi1on  and  quan11es  of  bushmeat  

ü  Hunters (8)

•  Mammals 60%, birds 26%, reptiles 14%.

•  485 individuals and 13 tons in 60 days

•  5,24 tons high level

•  7,75 tons low

level

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Pecari tajacu

Aburria sp.

Dasypus sp

Mazama americana

Tayassu pecari

Dasyprocta fuliginosa

Crypturellus sp.

Lagothrix lagothricha

Tapirus terrestris

Crax sp

Podocnemis unifilis

Cuniculus paca

Number of individuals

High-level waters Low-level waters

Species  composi1on  and  quan11es  of  bushmeat  

ü  Market places (8)

•  Mammals 74%, birds 16%, reptiles 10%.

•  6,7 tons in 20 days

•  3 tons Low level

•  3,7 tons high level

0 5 10 15 20 25

Mazama gouazoubira

Chelonoidis denticulata

Podocnemis unifilis

Tayassu pecari

Crax globulosa

Dasypus sp.

Mazama americana

Pecari tajacu

Tapirus terrestris

Cuniculus paca

Number of reports

Low level waters High level waters

Discussion  &  Conclusions  ü  Bushmeat trade contributes to people´s livelihoods, local

economy and well-being: complete market chains (US$686,000 year=2286 monthly min. wage=190 people)

ü  Clandestinity provides the erronous idea that the volumes

traded are insignificantà6,7 tons (8 traders/20 days)

ü  Then bushmeat trade in Amazonian towns is not insignificant, is instead insufficiently studied

0,00 0,20 0,40 0,60 0,80 1,00 1,20

Tabatinga (Brazil) - 56,21tons/52272 hab

Abaetetuba (Brazil) - 128tons/130.000hab

Franceville (Gabón) 45tons/40,000hab

kg of bushmeat/per cápita/year

ü  Opportunity to legalise and regulate the market of resilient species, while monitoring the effect of the trade on more vulnerable ones (and regulating in accordance).

•  Paca (LC): widely distributed, large population, unlikely to be declining.

•  Collared peccary: widely distributed, habitat loss and over-hunting (LC), requires monitoring

•  Tapir: VU, habitat loss, illegal hunting and competition with livestock

•  Red brocket deer: Data Deficient

Discussion  &  Conclusions  

Innovative monitoring tools based on local participation

ü  Market data can provide valuable information for policy makers and managers to formulate strategies for the sustainable use of wildlife

ü  Participatory approaches are worth trying:

•  It is possible to work together with the stakeholders of the trade chain to study the activity and put in place monitoring mechanisms.

•  Trust à Cooperation

Discussion  &  Conclusions