Bushmeat seized on the railway

The Human Aspect

With growing population in urban centers or around industrial complexes (logging concession, mining camp or other related implantation), demand for wild meat will continue to rise. The general trend is that the expansion and development of new markets, and the rising prices are stimulating trade from dwindling resources. Because of the area and number of people involved in the bushmeat trade, conventional law enforcement is virtually impossible. Thus, policies should be designed so that they can be implemented effectively by placing management at those points (e.g. controlling long–distance transport to urban markets), enabling limited staff to have a major impact on reducing the unsustainable exploitation of bushmeat

Threats

Lack of incentives and capacity of MINFOF staff in effective law enforcement, in addition to lack of awareness and alternative sources of income which, in turn, drive wildlife trade.

WCS Activities

The primary objective of the project is to develop an education and public awareness campaign related to illegal hunting and bushmeat trade, and to continue to implement and expand an effective law enforcement system for controlling bushmeat trade.  Effective law enforcement will be achieved through training and supervision of government agents and CAMRAIL personnel posted along the Yaounde-Ngaoundere railway. Preventing people from carrying bushmeat on this railway will limit access to lucrative markets and ultimately reduce hunting pressure.

Public awareness campaign in N'gaoundal station

The current project, Cameroon’s first attempt to decrease bushmeat trade by severing ties between the supply and the market, is proving to be highly successful in the one location and is being used to develop a consistent anti-bushmeat strategy for replication in other regions, and to target other transportation routes (e.g. logging trucks, bush-taxis).

Excellent working relationships have been developed between the three major project partners MINFOF, CAMRAIL and WCS.  The success of these relationships emphasizes the important role that good collaboration between private sector, government and NGOs can play in contributing to effective conservation of biological diversity. We hope that this may serve as an example and encourage other private industries, primarily logging companies, operating in the region of the project to join the initiative. 

Important Next Steps
• Intensification of a well targeted environmental education campaign;
• Strengthening the law enforcement and control systems through the use of innovative techniques for detecting bushmeat;
• Capacity building of project staff, government personnel and representatives of village level institutions for their full participation in project activities implementation;
• Cultivation of new partners to the project and expansion of project area interventions;
• Rehabilitate and help former poachers to engage in other income generating activities.