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70 Bush Meat Trading in the Oban Hills Region of South-Eastern Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management. Vol. 1 no.1 March 2008 Bush Meat Trading in the Oban Hills Region of South-Eastern Nigeria: Implications for Sustainable Livelihoods and Conservation Edem A. Eniang 1, ; Mfonobong E. Eniang 2 and Clement E. Akpan 3 Abstract A year long markets survey of bush meat trade and consumption was organized to assess the volume and components of bush meat trade in the Oban Hills region of Cross River State, Nigeria with the specific objectives to determine (types and kinds) or species of animals (especially primates) involved in the bush meat trade and investigate their sources, quantity, prices and trends in trade as well as seasonal variations in bush meat (primate) supplies and order to determine their implications for sustainable livelihoods and conservation while creating awareness on need for sustainable harvesting and conservation of wildlife among the operators of bush meat trade and consumptive activities. Reconnaissance surveys, intensive dry and wet season markets survey using formal and informal investigative carcass examination and bargaining to inspect and price bush meat. Results show that bush meat trade is growing at an alarming rate with increasing number of hunters and traders, driven by profit motive and destructive consequences on the population of all categories of vertebrate fauna including endangered species. The paper calls for the adoption of the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) of the United Nations by Nigerian government to safeguard the sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity of the nation. Introduction to their long term survival. In the light of he Oban Hills region of the above situation, (Ajayi 1994) TNigeria is home to a very emphasized the need for sustainable diverse assemblage of primates (Schmidt management of our biodiversity within 1996; Oates, 1996; Eniang and Nwufoh and outside the tropical rainforest zone of 2000). It is regarded as part of the Nigeria. continuous gulf of guinea biodiversity The declining status of African hotspot. The description of this ecological wildlife in general and primates in zone has been given by (Richards 1952; particular prompted the author to embark Okali 1979 and Sayer, et al , 1992). The upon a bush meat trade and consumption diversity of faunal species of the region survey to provide current and relevant data can be found in (White and Reid 1988; to protected area managers and policy Reid 1989; Happold 1991 and Schmidt makers for better biodiversity governance. 1996). With increasing human population Although several factors are responsible and its attendant forest resources for the rapidly declining Wildlife exploitation and destruction, (NEST 1992; population in the study area, the Olajide and Eniang 2000) many a hunting/poaching and bush meat trade biodiversity are exposed to varied threats factor was chosen as the focus of this 1 Dept. of Animal, Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences, Mekelle University, P. O. Box 231, Mekelle, Tigray Region, Ethiopia. [email protected] 2. Biodiversity Preservation Center (BPC), 5 Philip Mfon close, off Parliamentary Road, HE P. O. Box 990, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. 3.Room 10,Block… Ministry of Agriculture, Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State; Nigeria. E- mail:[email protected] Acknowledgements -The authors are grateful to the Primate Society of Great Britain (PSGB) for providing Grant support for the survey. We are highly indebted to the Cross River National Park- Aking Rangers Station for providing logistic support and temporary accommodation in the Park’s guest house throughout the surveys. 70 Bush Meat Trading ----Edem A Eniang Et al. EJESM Vo.1 no.1 2008 research. The Oban Hills region is part of sustainable conservation of a rainforest the core zone of the Cross River National protected area such as the CRNP is being Park (CRNP), Oban Division which is considered. The survey was aimed at contiguous to the Korup National Park assessing the volume and components of (KNP) of Cameroon. But the same area bush meat trade in the Oban Hills region has witnessed rapidly growing populations of Cross River State, Nigeria to determine of migrant farmers from several densely (types and kinds) or species of animals populated towns and cities of southern involved in the bush meat trade. Efforts Nigeria. To achieve the set aims and were made to determine their sources, objectives of the research, a year long quantity, prices and trends in trade as well market surveys was embarked upon to as seasonal variations in bush-meat cover the major markets within the supplies. The paper also attempt to create jurisdiction of the general Oban division awareness on need for sustainable of the CRNP, Nigeria. harvesting and conservation of wildlife In this article Bush-meat generally refers among the operators of bush meat trade to meat from wildlife sources or and consumptive activities while securing undomesticated animals which are their livelihoods. The human health normally consumed in place of meat from implications of bush-meat consumption domestic or livestock origin. NEST (1991) are currently a matter of emerging defined bush meat as the flesh of wild and scientific research and calls for caution on undomesticated animals. the side of consumers. Ayodele, et al , (1999) postulated Study Area that the supply of Bush meat from wild Oban Hills region falls sources no doubt serves as the only approximately within Latitudes 5 015’ and possible measure to bridge the gap 5025’ N, and longitudes 8 030’ and 8 045’ E between livestock production and human of the Greenish Meridian. It is bounded in population growth. Wild animals of the North by the twin villages of Aking various classes and sizes, both vertebrates and Osomba and spreads down to Okarara and invertebrates form part of the diets of village in the East. In the West, it is people across the globe. Udo, (1999) bounded by old Netim and Nsan villages emphasized that in Sub-Saharan Africa, while its Southern portion is bounded by the proportion of wild animal meat in total Ekong village. Interestingly, the Oban animal protein supply is exceptionally Hills region of south eastern Nigeria is high. Asibey, et al (1990) reported that regarded as the last stronghold of the communities living near rainforests in Tropical Rain Forest in Nigeria which has Nigeria obtained 84 percent of their a significant portion in pristine condition. animal protein needs from Bush meat. The area is noted for its high species Ajayi (1979) had shown that forest diversity (White and Reid 1988; Reid mammals accounted for between 20% and 1989; Happold 1991; and Schmidt 1996). 90% of the total animal protein consumed Despite these great diversity and richness, in Benin Republic, Cameroon, Ghana, the area is prone to destruction through Cote d’ Voire, Liberia and Nigeria. Udo, human activities, ranging from hunting (1999) went on to show that Wild meat and poaching, agriculture, logging and demands have tended to a large extent to unguided exploitation of Non Timber focus on large game species such as Forests Products, (NTFPs) etc. The antelopes and deer. He attributed significance of Oban Forest and its preference to bush meat to the higher ecology are well discussed by (Onochie protein content and the fact that bush-meat 1979; Agboola 1979 and Nwoboshi 1982). contain less fat than domestic meat with The people of Oban are predominantly potentials to supply iron, Vitamins A and Christians and to lesser extent B. The traditional inclination of rural practitioners of African Traditional people to bush meat is explained in Religion (ATR). Some members of both (Bassey, 1999; Agom, 1997). Despite the groups are also members of several native foregoing, consumption trends have cults such Ekpe , Ekpo and Obon . Both become worrisome especially when practitioners of African Traditional 71 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management. Vol. 1 no.1 March 2008 Religion (ATR) and Christians relish against poaching and what seizures were bush-meat and some make use of certain made and species involved. What level of wild animal species and their body parts awareness of conservation was existed? for worship, sacrifice and rituals while To obtain reliable information, the others forbid them mainly for reasons of researchers employed unorthodox methods native taboos. Interestingly, a number of applicable to peculiar people who participate in the trade in locations/community to be able to conduct bush-meat derive their livelihoods from it certain investigative aspect of this and their numbers have continued to research. The researchers made serious increase in recent years. The protection efforts to take video recording, coloured activities of the Cross River National Park photographs and slides of specimens (CRNP) project has been very significant where and whenever it was possible. In in Oban Hills area , yet the phenomena of most markets, the traders would not allow bush-meat consumption and trade poses in the use of such equipment in open the region serious threat to sustainable markets. This was however possible when wildlife conservation, with serious the dealers were approached individually negative impacts upon endangered species outside the markets. The female author of especially. this article was responsible for surveying Methods gender sensitive bush-meat outlets which A one week reconnaissance survey was the male participants were refused access. embarked upon to familiarize with the She also posed as a potential buyer to entire area as well as determine focal solicit the appropriate prices. points for the long term survey of the The major trade points for bush bush-meat trade in the Oban region. For meat in the Oban area were visited on this reason all local markets were explored weekly basis (Market Days) to see what including other trade outlets such as was sold or traded. The researchers restaurants, bars, etc. A dry season bush- employed informal methods (sometimes meat survey lasting for 4 Months acting as potential buyers especially in (December- April) and covering all local areas where bush-meat was traded in markets including other trade outlets e.g.
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