Abstract
Bushmeat hunting plays an important role in many rural African households; however, hunting pressures are growing, threatening the survival of many bushmeat species. Wildlife resources are rapidly dwindling; yet effective conservation strategies have been difficult to develop and implement. Many dimensions of bushmeat resource use have not been sufficiently explored and are consequently ignored in conservation interventions. To improve understanding of hunting practice, we conducted semistructured interviews with 74 hunters in three Malinké villages in Guinea, West Africa regarding motivations to hunt and hunting processes. In addition, we investigated the local bushmeat trade in a nearby city. Using data from previous studies, and Robinson and Redford’s (1991) model, we find that Red-flanked duiker, bushbuck and buffalo are unsustainably harvested. Malinké hunters’ perspectives offer both opportunities and obstacles for conservation which will be valuable for the development of conservation strategies in this area.
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Notes
The lead author has conversational Malinké.
Women participate in fishing; however for the purposes of this research hunting refers only to the capture of terrestrial animals.
There is overlap between some of these terms, in particular “income” and “poverty.” Income is a separate category because poverty is not always a precondition for hunting. There are some hunters who are not impoverished yet still hunt for income.
The first hunter interviewed was not asked this question, so n = 73 for this question
This research was conducted during this period. Even when fish were available, bushmeat was the principal form of protein consumed.
Once hunters have a gun (which may be borrowed, inherited, purchased or shared among family members), they need only to purchase bullets. Hunters may also use traps requiring little more than a string.
Exchange rates: July 21st 2006: 1 USD = 5123.3 FG September 21st 2006: 1 USD = 5631.4 FG.
Buffalo density had actually increased although Brugière et al. caution readers in interpreting these findings since the absolute number of observations is low.
The main difference between Basset’s investigation and our own is that this research sought not only to understand hunters’ ideas concerning conservation issues, but also their motivations to hunt, with the ultimate goal of identifying opportunities for conservation efforts.
Other natural deterrents may mimic strategies used for other pest species—for example the use of chili pepper to deter elephants (Elephant Chili Pepper Project, Zambia).
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Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge David Wilkie, Valerie Luzadis, Steve Stehman and Diane Kuehn for their guidance throughout this project. Robert Malmsheimer provided transportation funding. We thank Amadou Yansané, Agent Forestière Niabé, Kaka Oularé, Facili Oularé, Mamadi Condé, Fanta Touré, and the communities of Beindou, Dalafilani and Koumandi kura for welcoming us, and for generously sharing their time, effort, consideration, and expertise with us. Finally, We acknowledge Michael Mascia and an anonymous viewer for their helpful comments on previous drafts.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Interview Questions
Were you born here?
Did you grow up here?
Have you traveled?
How old are you?
How many wives do you have?
How many children do you have?
Did you go to school? To what level?
Can you read?
What do you do for work?
What is your level of wealth compared to others in the village on a scale of 1 (lowest) – 5 (highest)?
What is the contribution of hunting to what you make in a year?
When did you start hunting?
Why did you start?
How did you learn to hunt?
Why do you hunt now?
If you had enough money and food would you still hunt?
Do you hunt alone?
What do you like about hunting?
Why do you like to hunt?
What do you not like about hunting?
Describe a good hunter.
Describe a bad hunter.
How do you have lots of success in hunting?
How do you prepare to go out?
Do you use leaves?
What kind of a gun do you have?
How many times a week do you go hunting?
How does this change throughout the year?
When you go out, how long do you go out for?
What time during the day do you go out?
Is there a good time to go hunting throughout the year?
Is there a time during the year that you do not hunt?
Where do you hunt?
How many kilometers away is it?
Do you take a bike?
How many qualities of hunters exist here?
What is the role of the hunter in the community?
What is nyama?
What animals have the most nyama?
How do you protect yourself against nyama?
What activities do the donzo do together during the year?
What animals do you prefer to hunt, why?
What animals are the most difficult to hunt, why?
Are there animals you will not hunt?
What animals do you have the chance to kill the most often? How often do you obtain each?
What do you do with the meat after you get it?
Do you sell it?
If you sell it, who do you sell it to?
What species do you prefer to eat?
How often do you eat bushmeat, domestic meat, fish?
Are there laws that regulate hunting?
Are there laws that regulate the seasons?
The species you can kill?
Where you can hunt?
Do you have a permit?
Has the number of animals changed since you began hunting? Why?
What can we do to make the animals come back?
Are there problems among hunters?
Would the community say he is a bad hunter if he does not get a lot of meat?
What are your problems as a hunter?
Appendix 2: Questionnaire for Faranah Bushmeat Vendors
What species have you sold during the last year?
For each species, how much do you profit per animal?
What villages doe the meat come from?
How do you get meat from the hunters?
What animals do you sell the most?
What animals are the most expensive?
What animals are the least expensive?
What animals do customers search the most?
Do you sell the same number of animals during the rainy and dry seasons?
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Pailler, S., Wagner, J.E., McPeak, J.G. et al. Identifying Conservation Opportunities among Malinké Bushmeat Hunters of Guinea, West Africa. Hum Ecol 37, 761–774 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-009-9277-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-009-9277-7