How increase in bushmeat demand fuels illegal hunting

Dar es Salaam. Urban demand for bushmeat has made the flow of illegal hunting to be a daily life of families near protected areas, yet a blow to the country’s wildlife economies, The Citizen can report.

The demand is characterised by the fact that many people prefer wild meat to domestic meat, since it constitutes healthy and nutritious proteins, coupled with low in both saturated fat and calories compared to domestic meat.

Speaking exclusively with The Citizen, Mr Ayoub Magafu, a retired civil servant, who resides in Mugumu, a town in Mara Region, said: “The majority understands poaching probably as the illegal killing of rhinos and elephants.”

He added,“Of course, this kind of poaching has affected the status of our biodiversity. In fact, as of today, I am told that three of the five rhino species found worldwide are facing the high chance of extinction due to poaching.”

According to Mr Magafu, there is, however, another kind of poaching that is not as well-known but just as devastating, illegal hunting for bushmeat which is driven by its demand in urban areas thus threatening animal populations in Tanzania.

For him, unlicensed hunters, mostly village men, are being enticed to the illegal practice due to their socio-economic factors. He said, “Most of these people (illegal hunters) are poverty-stricken so they try to meet their daily subsistence needs, and hunting is their solution.”

A random survey conducted by The Citizen, has established that bushmeat consumption is consumed in every part of the country though mostly in the country’s ecoregions due to its availability and low cost.

On the other hand, the survey established that hunting for wild meat is focused on lesser threatened but equally important species, as the hunters target wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, and eland for the trade and consumption of their meat.

An ex illegal hunter, who preferred anonymity, informed our reporter by saying: “Hunters use wire snares to catch animals according to their body height, though a trap which is meant for a small antelope may snare even unintended animals such a lion, leopard and even an elephant.”

The said ex-hunter informed this paper that he decided to venture into hunting because it was a traditional practice by his family that hunted just for family consumption, though he was later motivated by his friend to go hunting and trade.

Available data at the ministry responsible for tourism and natural resources, indicated that in Tanzania, more than 2,000 tonnes of illegal bushmeat, worth around $50 million, are seized annually.

“The question to ask is,” noted the ex-hunter, “How many undocumented tonnes of such meat do reach the market illegally? I think something has to be done because the wildlife across the country is declining rapidly both inside and outside of protected areas.”

Analysts urge that due to illegal hunting, species such as Mountain Reedbuck and Klipspringer have become locally extinct in some parts of the country, and that bushmeat utilization has impacted the number and abundance of wildlife species involved.

Some species such as elephants, buffalo, eland, greater kudu, and Abbot’s duiker that used to be plentiful are currently reported threatened or non-existent in most of their original habitats.

A Dar es Salaam resident, Ms Maria Peter, said: “Honestly, my family and I prefer wild meat to domestic one, every weekend my family and I go out for an evening meal at Breakpoint Carnivore, where we enjoy our meals.”

According to her, on rare occasions she also goes for wild boar meat which appears to be similar to pork, the preferred meat is to have a great source of zinc and healthy monounsaturated fats and it also contains protein and vitamins associated with converting food into energy. Further, Ms Peter explained that most of the pork joints in Dar es Salaam sell wild pork once or twice a week depending on its availability, adding: “Its meat is very lean and much lower in cholesterol and calories than pork hence a much healthier choice.

A study released four days ago, dubbed ‘Illegal Wildlife Trade: Trade Flows of Wildlife Products and Facilitation Methods in Tanzania,’ carried out by Mr Hillary Mrosso, Wildlife Researcher and Conservation Specialist, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and his colleagues, indicated that the available market fuels the demand.

“The illegal trade of wildlife products is sustained by the availability of markets and demand by customers, and that to facilitate the transportation there is involvement of fake armies, and fake number plates for government, funeral, and wedding vehicles,” reads part of the report.

According to the report, strong relationships existed among poachers, traders, buyers, or consumers of wildlife products, as poachers only sell wild meat to recognized customers, with most of whom they have long-term relationships, which helps them to sell their wildlife products on cash.

“However, sometimes it happens that buyers do not have cash on hand, and to avoid the risk of being caught by wildlife managers, the exchange of the product with non-cash products occurs. For hunters accepting the exchange of products, most reported to exchange wildlife products for crops and sometimes clothes,” the report reads in part.

On the other hand, Mr Hillary Mrosso and colleagues urged that the conservation of wildlife needs to understand social relationships in order to combat illegal hunting and that best, and profitable agricultural practices could help to reduce the dependence of hunters on available wildlife resources.

When reached for comment, Dr Amina Abubakar, an independent economist, said: “Targeting wild animals in protected areas suggests that the bushmeat trade is a significant threat to wildlife economies in the country, and something has to be done.”

Dr Abubakar was of the view that although the government sought to legalise game meat (licensed butcheries) would decrease poaching but for her the move has fuelled the matter, as the business seems to be unsustainably if it is conducted legally.

According to her observation, legal bushmeat shops lack supply so to fill the gap, poachers are being used by middlemen to conduct illegal hunting after which the consignment is channelled to the said authorized butcheries, where the public would buy.

She, therefore, called on the respective authorities to be vigilant as dishonest staff would collaborate to okay the illegal wild meat by stamping them as legal ones.

When reached for comment, Mr Yusuph Kabange, Deputy Commissioner – Conservation, Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (Tawa), responded by saying: “Selling illegal bushmeat is a criminal offence, all licensed butcheries need to obtain their supply from legal channels.

He added,: “As ignorance of the law is no excuse, poverty isn’t an excuse for crime. As an institution (Tawa), we always empower people in the villages that we work in; 25 percent of revenue collected in a certain area is retained there for their economic activities.

“We also provide some form of grants to groups, we have allowed them to fish in protected areas, we have also funded some livestock and bee-keeping projects. Tourism activities in those areas provide employment for the people in respective areas,” he clarified. Further, the deputy commissioner said coordinate patrol by the Task Team which involves Tawa, Tanapa, Police Force, Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services and other institutions, is engaging in patrol in 10 identified ecological areas so as to control the illegal hunting and trade of the wildlife.

But for Mr Fortunatus Mwita, who works in one of the authorized butcheries, admitted that the demand for bushmeat is rapidly increasing, with the price for a kilogram starting at Sh6000, which is less than the price of beef which currently sells at Sh8000 per kg.

Although he neither admitted nor denied the accusations of selling illegally hunted wild animals, Mwita informed this journalist that they sometimes fail to supply enough for their customers which includes hotels, restaurants, and homes.

According to him, they are licensed to sell a wide range of wild meat such as buffalo, ostrich, gazelle, hippo, and antelope, and that in restaurants, prices for roasted bushmeat in a restaurant rages Sh6000 – Sh30 per meal.

In his review titled “Reducing Illegal Bushmeat Hunting in Tanzania: An Opportunity for The Open University of Tanzania,” Dr. Paulo Wilfred, Senior Lecturer and Head of Department of Life Sciences at the Open University of Tanzania (Open) said bushmeat trade is a matter of concern.

“Illegal exploitation of wildlife for food and income – is a matter of increasing concern…A major challenge lies in ensuring sustainability of the remaining wildlife amid pressures from local communities who are constantly trying to work their way out of poverty,” He reviewed.

According to him, community-based conservation (CBC) seems to be a practical illegal bushmeat hunting solution, and as it aims at striking a balance between conservation and development and raising conservation awareness amongst local communities, which is significant in promoting wildlife as a valuable land resource.