Energy News  
FARM NEWS
Bushmeat trade changes hint at erosion of cultural taboos in West Africa
by Brooks Hays
Washington DC (UPI) Sep 18, 2020

Researchers have identified a shift in the bushmeat trade in and around Niger National Park in Guinea, West Africa.

New survey data, published Friday in the journal Oryx, revealed in an uptick in the trade of several species that forage on local crops, including the green monkey, Chlorocebus sabaeus, and warthog, Phacochoerus africanus.

The discovery suggests economic realities have eroded cultural taboos against the killing and consumption of monkeys and wild pigs in West Africa, a predominantly Muslim region.

Researchers were able to identify fluctuations in the bushmeat, or wildmeat, trade by comparing more recent market survey data, collected between 2011 and 2017, with data collected during the 1990s and between 2001 and 2011.

"No other study to our knowledge has really explored temporal changes when it comes to the wild meat trade, and our study clearly highlights key shifts in this regard," lead study author Tatyana Humle, professor of ecology and conservation at the University of Kent in Britain, told UPI.

To collect accurate data, Humle said it's important for researchers to build trusting relationships with wildmeat vendors and help them understand the purpose of the study. It's also important for researchers not to interfere in market activities.

During regular visits to local markets, Humle's research team recorded where wildmeat was being sold, as well as what types of wildmeat -- at the species level, whenever possible -- was available for sale.

The market data comparison showed that fluctuations in Guinea's wildmeat trade are being largely driven by increases in rural demand. Bushmeat trade patterns have remained fairly stable in the city of Faranah over the last few decades.

"In Guinea, like many other countries in the region, rural people in particular depend heavily on wildmeat for protein consumption and income," Humle said. "It is hence critical to understand what is going on in order to more effectively align conservation actions with the livelihoods challenges faced by people in these localities."

Researchers found small mammals dominate the bushmeat trade in Guinea, especially species that feed on local crops. With a single kill, farmers can both protect their crops and make some extra money.

"Increased trade in crop-foraging wildlife species is potentially a trend that we expect to see elsewhere as both subsistence and commercial agricultural activities and other land use conversion practices are spreading across landscapes, encroaching into habitats utilized by wildlife," Humle said.

The wildmeat trade presents a variety of risks, including an increased risk of zoonoses, diseases that jump between wildlife and both people and livestock.

"The international trade in wildlife is one of the major threats to biodiversity," Humle said.

The wildmeat trade can also lead to local extinctions and significant biodiversity losses, resulting in lost ecological services, such as pollination and seed-dispersal of critical fruit trees.

Researchers hope their market surveys can help conservationists develop more effective strategies to curb the growth of the wildmeat trade.

"Research is key to combat the growth of the wildmeat trade, as without understanding the patterns and drivers we cannot identify in concert with the people involved in this activity effective solutions to tackle the trade," Humle said.

"It is also vital that research findings inform policy and community development and conservation actions," she said. "Law enforcement is futile on its own, unless drivers are understood and addressed adequately."


Related Links
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


FARM NEWS
Scientists teach bees to pollinate sunflowers based on scent
Washington DC (UPI) Sep 17, 2020
Research published Thursday in the journal Current Biology suggests honeybees can be scent-trained, similar to the way dogs are trained to follow a scent by first sniffing the target. For the experiment, scientists gave bees from a hive food scented with a sunflower-like odor. When hives with scent-trained bees were used to pollinate sunflowers, the researchers observed a boost in sunflower crop production. "We show that it's possible to condition honeybees to a rewarded odor inside the ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

FARM NEWS
MethaneSAT completes critical design review, moves into production phase

Air pollution in a post-COVID-19 world

Ball Aerospace selected by NASA to study sustainable land imaging technologies

NASA monitors carbon monoxide from California wildfires

FARM NEWS
Tech combo is a real game-changer for farming

Launch of Russia's Glonass-K satellite postponed until October

GPS 3 receives operational acceptance

Air Force navigation technology satellite passes critical design review

FARM NEWS
Bolsonaro's Indigenous land mining policy a billion-dollar backfire

Droughts in the Amazon rainforest can be predicted up to 18 months in advance

Environmental groups, big ag unite for Amazon in Brazil

Humans have been degrading the American tropics for 500 years

FARM NEWS
Novel photocatalysts can perform solar-driven conversion of CO2 into fuel

Cascades with carbon dioxide

Chemistry's Feng Lin Lab is splitting water molecules for a renewable energy future

Making more of methane

FARM NEWS
Theoretically, two layers are better than one for solar-cell efficiency

Sunpro Solar first to install new NeON LG solar panel in US

Tandem devices feel the heat

Development of photovoltaics that can be applied like paint for real-life application

FARM NEWS
California offshore winds show promise as power source

Offshore wind power now so cheap it could pay money back to consumers

Trust me if you can

Ingeteam's advanced simulation models to ease wind power grid integration

FARM NEWS
German villagers take coal fight to highest court

Britain rejects new coal mine on environmental grounds

Fight over future of UK coal as last big mine shuts

BHP signals shift away from coal as profits dip

FARM NEWS
Two dozen Hong Kong activists in court over banned Tiananmen vigil

Culture war: Inner Mongolia seethes as China presses Mandarin at school

Families fear for Hong Kong 'speedboat fugitives' in China custody

Australia rejects Chinese claim reporters evaded the law









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.