Saturday 12 May 2012

Mozambique’s wildlife resource wasted by illegal hunting & bushmeat trade

Illegal hunting undermining food security and wildlife-based land uses in Mozambique
May 2012. A new TRAFFIC study finds that illegal hunting and the bushmeat trade have resulted in a major decline in wildlife populations in Central Mozambique, significantly undermining potential for viable wildlife-based land uses and resulting in the loss of a traditional source of protein for local communities.
Just 10% of expected wildlife, and some species exterminated
The study of Coutada 9 found that wildlife populations in the 4,450 square km protected area in Manica province are currently less than 10% of what the area could support, with several species, including rhinoceroses, Roan Antelopes African Wild Dogs locally extirpated through illegal hunting.
Significantly reducing such illegal hunting and allowing wildlife populations to recover would allow the generation of significant economic benefits through trophy hunting and potentially ecotourism. In addition, an additional 86 tonnes of wild meat could be generated from Coutada 9, if hunting was limited to regulated harvesting based on a quota system.
"The implications for the food security of local people are obvious, while restoring wildlife populations would have clear conservation benefits too," said David Newton, Director of TRAFFIC's East and Southern Africa programme.

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