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Monthly Journal Digest
December 2015
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Local people, hunting and community based conservation
Yasuoka. H., Hirai, M., Kamgaing, T.O., Dzefack, Z.C.B., Kamdoum, E.C. & Bobo, K.S. (2015) Changes in the composition of hunting catches in southeastern Cameroon: a promising approach for collaborative wildlife management between ecologists and local hunters. Ecology and Society; Vol 20 (4): 25. Open access.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-08041-200425
In recent years, both depletion of wild animals and declining food supply have threatened the livelihoods of people inhabiting the forests of the Congo Basin, and rendered the bushmeat trade a national and global concern. Because initial approaches to wildlife management were criticised for lacking consideration of the customary rights of local people, a variety of projects have been proposed to ensure their active participation in management initiatives. However, unfamiliar with the concepts of conservation ecology, local people have found it difficult to contribute effectively. This paper proposes an approach to monitor the status of fauna, based on the ratio of blue duikers (Philantomba monticola) to medium-sized duikers (Cephalophus spp.) for the total number of hunting catches (the catch B/M). It appears that the catch B/M predicts changes in the status of game animals and of the background wild fauna, and is both a sufficiently reliable variable for ecologists and perceptible for local people. Furthermore, this approach has the potential to cultivate a relationship of trust between ecologists and local people, which is indispensable in establishing effective collaborative wildlife management.
Montana, E., Moreno-Sanchez, R.P., Maldonado, J.H. & Griffith, D.M. (2015) Predicting hunter behaviour of indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon: insights from a household production model. Ecology and Society; Vol 20 (4): 30. Open access. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-08032-200430
Many indigenous communities living in the Amazon rely on hunting and fishing to meet the majority of their protein needs. Despite the importance of these practices, few studies from the region have analysed the socioeconomic drivers of hunting and fishing at the household level. In this study the authors propose a household production model to assess the effect of key economic parameters on hunting and fishing in small indigenous communities located in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The model was validated using empirical data from two communities that reflect different levels of market integration and forest conservation. The parameter that most directly affected hunting activity in both communities was off-farm wages. Model simulations revealed that bushmeat price and penalties for illegal trade also had important effects on hunter behaviour in terms of amount of bushmeat sold, but not in terms of total harvest. As a tool for understanding hunters’ economic decision-making, the model provides a basis for developing strategies that promote sustainable hunting and wildlife conservation while protecting indigenous livelihoods.
Walters, G., Schleicher, J., Hymas, O. & Coad, L. (2015) Evolving hunting practices in Gabon: lessons for community-based conservation interventions. Ecology and Society; Vol 20 (4): 31. Open access. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-08047-200431
Conservation initiatives are increasingly realising the importance of integrating local perspectives of land tenure arrangements, natural resource rights, and local beliefs into conservation approaches. However, current work has not sufficiently considered the dynamic nature of natural resource governance institutions over time and the potential implications for current conservation interventions. In this article the authors explore how and why hunting governance has changed since the precolonial period in two ethnic hunting communities in Gabon, Central Africa. In both communities, hunting governance has undergone significant changes since the precolonial period. A closed-access, lineage-based system of resource use with strict penalties for trespassing, has evolved into a more open-access system. These changes have occurred mainly in response to policies and governance structures put in place by the colonial government and post-independence, early state laws. This included a policy of merging villages, the introduction of more modern hunting techniques such as guns and wire cables, and a shift from community to government ownership of the land. These findings suggest that a historical perspective of resource governance can provide important insights for community-based conservation approaches.
Delgado-Serrano, M., Oteros-Rozas, E., Vanwildemeersch, P., Ortiz-Guerrero, C., London, S. & Escalante, R. (2015) Local perceptions on social-ecological dynamics in Latin America in three community-based natural resource management systems. Ecology and Society; Vol 20 (4): 24. Open access. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-07965-200424
Several examples of community-based natural resource management in Latin American social-ecological systems exist in which communities control the management of common-pool resources. Understanding community perceptions of the performance of these systems is essential to involve communities in sustainable management strategies. In this analysis of three areas in Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina, the authors analysed the local perceptions of the social and environmental challenges faced by these social-ecological systems and how these challenges and drivers affect their resilience. The case study analysis revealed that the community-based natural resource management approach needs external support and recognition to work effectively. In the Argentine and Colombian cases, megaprojects were perceived as controllers with medium or strong influence but low dependence. The use of ancestral knowledge (Colombia), the history of land use (Mexico), and the history of the artisanal fishery (Argentina) were all perceived as common challenges to community-based natural resource management. In terms of social-ecological resilience, framed within the three-dimensional model of the adaptive cycle, all three social-ecological systems were considered to be highly connected and resilient but with different degrees of capacity or cumulative potential.
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Our current journal watch list includes: African Journal of Ecology; Agricultural Sciences News; Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment; AMBIO; Animal Conservation; Antipode; Biodiversity; Biodiversity and Conservation; Biological Conservation; Conservation and Society; Conservation Biology; Conservation Evidence; Conservation Letters; Development and Change; Diversity and Distributions; Ecological Economics; Ecology; Ecology and Society; Ecosystem Services; Environment and History; Environmental Conservation; Environmental Ethics; Ethics and the Environment; Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment; Global Environmental Change; Human Dimensions of Wildlife; International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management; International Journal of Environmental Studies; Journal for Nature Conservation; Local Environment; Management of Environmental Quality; Natural Resources Forum; Nature; Oryx; PNAS; Science; Society & Natural Resources; The Journal of Environment & Development; Trends in Ecology and Evolution; Wildlife Research; World Development.
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