Wildlife Harvest: Threat or Savior?
Newsletter: Volume1, Issue 1 - April 2004
Liberia is a conservation priority within the Upper Guinea Forest
block of West Africa. Within its forests are found many of the
regions endangered species, including pygmy hippopotamus, forest
elephant, Diana monkey, and Jentink's and zebra duikers (antelope
unique to the region). Unfortunately, Liberia's rate of bushmeat
(wildlife meat) consumption, which may be among the highest in
Africa, is potentially a threat to its biodiversity.
 On
the other hand, much of Liberia's population is dependent upon
wild meat and the bushmeat trade. Bushmeat represents a resource
from which a wide range of Liberians gain nutritional or economic
benefits, unlike the timber or mining industries that benefit
only a few elite.
Is the wildlife harvest a threat to endangered species or a nutritional
and economic boon to the rural poor? It is both.
Research conducted by FPI staff demonstrates that wildlife harvest
rates are often unsustainable, and the threat of extinction (at
least at the local level) is real. Yet for any natural resource
management scheme to be effective, it must be also realistic.
Limited law enforcement capacity in Liberia and a population dependent
upon wildlife for food and income make conservation of wildlife
a challenge.
However, FPI is working with partners in Liberia to find practical
solutions that take into consideration the socio-economic and
biological implications of the wildlife harvest and trade.
Recommendations include a focused approach that recognizes those
species most at risk, working with the development community to
find alternative sources of protein and income, urban controls
on the market, research and monitoring, and most importantly of
all, a community based approach that works with the rural poor
to empower them to manage their natural resources in a way that
assures the future of them both.
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