Bushmeat - Human Right or Human Tragedy?

By Clarissa Hughes

The industrial revolution has taught that the unchecked exploitation of natural resources cannot go on if the human species is to survive.  The concept of a healthy people and a healthy planet being connected to one another is critical in the 21^st century. 

At the World Parks Congress held in Durban last year, the so-called “Bushmeat Crisis” was high on the agenda.   It is considered “one of the most complex, challenging, multidimensional and pressing issues facing conservation and human well-being in developing countries”. 

Bushmeat is defined as any wild animal hunted for human consumption or use.  As we know, human beings have been utilising wild animals as a source of protein for thousands of years.  Why is this now a crisis?  The difference is the level of consumption.  Never before have there been so many people requiring so much of an ever-dwindling resource.   In short, our levels of consumption are unsustainable.

Furthermore, an estimated seventy percent of bushmeat is wasted due to snares that lie unchecked for days and the lack of refrigeration in wildlife areas.

The problem is prevalent all through Africa.  A visit to many national parks will reveal tracks, with distinctive bicycle imprints, leading in and out of the park.   They are too well used to account for ranger patrols.  

In most cases the source of bushmeat is in protected areas.  The idea that the perpetrators are subsistence hunters is no longer valid.  There is a large, cash market for bushmeat in many of Africa’s cities and towns. 

Many local marketplaces stock “game meat”.  Depending on the strength of the policing in the country concerned, it may not be displayed.  However, a quick enquiry for “meat” will often produce a variety of butchered species.   From pythons to elephants, few animals are safe from the cooking pot.

The reasons underlying the crisis are varied – unemployment, population explosion, lack of economic alternatives, political instability, illegal movement and trade in arms, the abolition of tribal taboos and rites and lack of protein alternatives are but a few.   

Multiple solutions are therefore required from a variety of governments and organisations.   The CAMPFIRE programme in Zimbabwe (now defunct due to political turmoil) was an example of a sustainable solution to this problem.

What will happen if the problem is not tackled?   Mass starvation and increase in civil strife as people find more and more desperate ways to feed themselves.  The loss of wildlife attraction, which in turn, will lead to loss of foreign revenue and employment from tourism is a real threat.   Human diseases such as AIDS and the Ebola virus have been linked to the consumption of primate meat.  The relationship between people handling and consuming exotic animals is being considered in relation to the recent outbreak of SARS in Asia. 

In Zambia, where the sustainable development and proper management of the tourism industry can alleviate so much poverty, the bushmeat issue is of paramount importance. 

The preservation of wildlife is regarded as a rich man’s luxury by many poverty stricken countries.  But this is not about saving wildlife.  This issue concerns the future of human well being. 

In future issues, we hope to highlight what positive moves Zambia is making to address the Bushmeat crisis

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