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Influence of war on hunting patterns and pressure in Sierra Leone

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 September 2016

ABU CONTEH Open the ORCID record for ABU CONTEH [Opens in a new window]  and
MICHAEL C. GAVIN
ABU CONTEH*
Affiliation:
Victoria University of Wellington, School of Geography, Environment, and Earth Sciences, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
MICHAEL C. GAVIN
Affiliation:
Victoria University of Wellington, School of Geography, Environment, and Earth Sciences, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1480, USA
*
*Correspondence: Dr. Abu Conteh Tel: +1 780 604 5260 e-mail: abuconteh@hotmail.com
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Summary

Bushmeat hunting poses a huge challenge for biodiversity conservation, but bushmeat is also an important source of essential protein in many locations. Although war may have substantial impacts on hunting, how these effects vary across different spatial scales and over multiple stages of warfare remain largely unknown. In addition, despite serious conflicts that may have affected hunting patterns in West Africa, no studies have examined the impacts of war on hunting in Sierra Leone. We used the randomized response technique together with semi-structured interviews to examine variations in hunting techniques and the proportion of the population that engages in hunting over three time periods (before, during and after war) among different communities bordering a protected area. At the scale of the whole protected area, the proportion of people hunting did not vary significantly over time. Similarly, the methods used for hunting were generally consistent over time and space. However, within each community, the proportion of the population hunting varied significantly over time, and the locations with the greatest participation rates in hunting changed at each time period. Access to alternative livelihood options and the severity of the war's impact shaped patterns of change in hunting participation across different communities. Our results point to the importance of adaptive management approaches that can adjust management strategies in order to account for spatial or temporal variations in hunting behaviour.

Keywords

bushmeathunting methodsrandomized response techniqueSierra Leonetemporal and spatial variationthreats to wildlife
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , June 2017 , pp. 131 - 138
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2016 

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