Bushmeat surveyed in Western cities
Illegally hunted animals turn up in markets from New York to London.
Baboons, duiker antelopes and cane rats are available by the pound in markets in major cities in North America and Europe, a scientist reported at the Society for Conservation Biology meeting in San Jose, California, this week.
Read the story here.
Comments
Expatriots can merely be understood in their behaviour to have bushmeat as food they were used to or perhaps have been forced to eat in order to survive. Those obviously rich people, who need bushmeat for crazy ceremonies or just for adding another sign of exclusivity to their pretended prestige cannot be understood. Thus supporting the disappearance of rare species and eventually promoting the spread of zoonosis is just a crime that has to be persecuted.
Posted by: Dr.K.P.Odenthal | June 30, 2006 09:20 AM
This story contributes to the growing evidence of an intercontinental trade in bushmeat which warrants attention and action by national and international conservation actors
Posted by: Douglas Williamson | July 4, 2006 07:38 AM
Note too that many cultures also view cannabilism as o.k. Are we certain that all the so called "Bush Meat" being sold isn't someone's great aunt Tilly?
In fact, there was just an article about Prion disease (Kuru) and cannabilism in one of the other Nature Journals. The practice of eating one's close and little less close relatives can have very long-term adverse consequences.
M. Stone
Posted by: Marcy Stone | July 4, 2006 09:51 PM
Since the majority of the bushmeat is consumed in the country in which it was taken, the problem is twofold:
1.Find ways of providing the needed protein from sources other than wild species,eg,domestic cattle
2.Provide these resources,cattle,in a way that will be compatible with the cultures and traditions of the people of these countries.
Education is necessary to the success of both parts of the solution. The needy people in question have to be educated not to consume the domestic breeding stock and trained in the hubandry of these domestic animals. Further, these people must be educated in the proposition that the wild, possibly endangered, species residing in their countries are more valuable to their country, in the form of tourist dollars, than the mere food value of these animals'meat.
Posted by: Stephen Alfieri | July 5, 2006 07:14 PM
Export of bushmeat and consumption in western countries is in my opinion a minor cause for species extinction, although it shoudl be condemned. The two major causes are habitat destruction of the animals involved and local consumption of bushmeat. If there are fools that are willing to pay huge amounts of money for a piece of bushmeat, we cannot blame people living below the poverty line for trying to make some money.
By the way, the same thing is happening with antique pieces of art owned by african families. There is a huge illegal trade in old statues that degenerates the cultural heritage of african culture.
Africa in general is still being exploited as a colony of the western world.
Posted by: Tom van Mourik | July 12, 2006 11:34 AM
Is there not an element of the guilty westerner in the response that you give? The destruction of habitat for development is a win:loose situation. How is Africa ever going to be able to support itself and thrive in the global economy? It must make some tough decisions and many of them will be shown to be the wrong ones. The cost of social and economic development is great and sometimes species will be lost. Its a damn shame but that is the cost.
Posted by: emma j | September 20, 2006 05:25 AM