Villagers holding up dead cane rats or barbecued bushmeat are often a common sight along country roads as they beckon to passing vehicles or operate stalls in local markets. The impact of the coronavirus is no exception.
These oblige farmers and villagers to fall back on hunting and foraging strategies that have been used for millennia to supply protein in times of need. Such situations are often brought about by crises, such as droughts, floods, disease, and war.
The use of wild resources always tends to surge in times of falling incomes. Many rural people living in wildlife areas with edible animals (what is deemed edible is much more extensive than many in the West might appreciate) have always hunted to supplement the inadequate availability of food from farming or other work. In some parts of Africa, but also in Asia and the Americas, poaching, especially for meat, is increasing. There are now strong indications that these fears were no exaggeration. (See the companion background article on poaching by Keith Somerville.
In turn, this would lead to a rise in poaching, especially the illegal hunting of what is known as ‘bushmeat’.
Furthermore, some warned, there was a genuine possibility that falling revenue from safari and hunting tourism coupled with the consequent reduction in funding for anti-poaching would also contribute to the impoverishment of many rural areas. Not only could it seriously damage much-needed income for local communities, but it could undermine governments, conservation projects, and, in some cases, national economies. When the lockdowns to counter COVID-19 across the world began earlier this year, many environmentalists, tourism operators, and even international corporations expressed concern that the drastic reduction in tourists going on safari in Africa could prove devastating. WhoWhatWhy is partnering with Global Geneva, where this story was originally published, to help broaden access to content that will benefit a broader global readership.
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