Wildlife crime: a review of the evidence on drivers and impacts in Uganda Mariel Harrison, Dilys Roe, Julia Baker, Geoffrey Mwedde, Henry Travers, Andy Plumptre, Aggrey Rwetsiba, E.J. Milner-Gulland WILDLIFE CRIME: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE ON DRIVERS AND IMPACTS IN UGANDA About the authors Mariel Harrison is a research assistant at Imperial College London and conducted the review of Ugandan evidence. Dilys Roe is Principal Researcher and Biodiversity Team Leader at IIED and wrote the international review. Julia Baker is a Biodiversity Specialist at Parsons Brinckerhoff and Research Advisor for the project and this review. Geoffrey Mwedde is Regional Manager at the Wildlife Conservation Society in Uganda and facilitated evidence collection for this review, as well as providing deeper insights into the topics covered. Henry Travers is a post-doctoral research associate at Imperial College London, responsible for the field research in this project. Andy Plumptre is the Director of the Albertine Rift Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society. Aggrey Rwetsiba is Senior Research and Monitoring Coordinator at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and facilitated evidence collection from UWA Conservation Area Managers. E.J. Milner- Gulland is Professor of Conservation Science at Imperial College London and Research Lead on the project and this review. Corresponding authors: Mariel Harrison, Imperial College London: [email protected] Dilys Roe, IIED: [email protected] Produced by IIED’s Natural Resources Group The aim of the Natural Resources Group is to build partnerships, capacity and wise decision-making for fair and sustainable use of natural resources. Our priority in pursuing this purpose is on local control and management of natural resources and other ecosystems. Published by IIED, April 2015 Harrison M et al. (2015) Wildlife crime: a review of the evidence on drivers and impacts in Uganda. IIED Research Report, London http://pubs.iied.org/17576IIED ISBN 978-1-78431-179-7 Printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based inks. International Institute for Environment and Development 80-86 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8NH, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 3463 7399 Fax: +44 (0)20 3514 9055 email: [email protected] www.iied.org @iied www.facebook.com/theIIED Download more publications at www.iied.org/pubs www.iied.org Wildlife crime: a review of the evidence on drivers and impacts in Uganda Mariel Harrison, Dilys Roe, Julia Baker, Geoffrey Mwedde, Henry Travers, Andy Plumptre, Aggrey Rwetsiba, E.J. Milner-Gulland www.iied.org 1 WILDLIFE CRIME: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE ON DRIVERS AND IMPACTS IN UGANDA Acknowledgements We are grateful to the members of the Uganda Poverty and Conservation Learning Group (U-PCLG), who provided thought-provoking discussion at the beginning of this review and who directed us towards helpful grey literature. Thank you to everyone who offered his or her time to be interviewed and for the insights shared, in particular: ● Akankwasah Barirega, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities ● Edward Asalu, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Kibale Conservation Area Manager ● Chris Bakuneeta, Makerere University ● Adonia Bintoora, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Mt Elgon Conservation Area Manager ● Pontious Ezuma, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Bwindi and Mgahinga Conservation Area Manager ● Nelson Guma, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area Manager ● Mark Infield, InField Conservation Consulting ● Johnson Masereka, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Kidepo Valley Conservation Area Manager ● Arthur Mugisha, International Union for the Conservation of Nature ● Tom Okello, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Murchison Falls Conservation Area Manager ● Gerald Tenywa, Environmental journalist, New Vision ● Annet Kandole, CARE ● Moses Olinga, Uganda Wildlife Authority Law Enforcement Division ● Eddie Oketcho, World Wide Fund for Nature ● Agrippinah Namara, Independent consultant ● Andrew Lemieux, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement This review was grant funded by the UK government’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, as part of the project ‘Building Capacity for Pro-Poor Responses to Wildlife Crime in Uganda’. However, the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the UK government or the other institutions involved. 2 www.iied.org Pro-poor responses to wildlife crime in Uganda, the project This evidence review is the first output of the project ‘Building capacity for pro-poor responses to wildlife crime in Uganda’, a collaboration between IIED, Imperial College London, Wildlife Conservation Society and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The project builds on previous experience by the partners in researching the socio- economic profiles and motivations of illegal resource users in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Twinamatsiko et al. 2014). It aims to provide evidence that improves understanding of the interactions between wildlife crime and poverty (in Uganda specifically but with wider lessons internationally), supports Uganda to implement measures that tackle the drivers of wildlife crime while improving the livelihoods of poor people, and generate lessons that can be rolled out from this pilot case to elsewhere. The project seeks to answer three key questions: 1) W hat are the drivers and impacts of wildlife crime at the local and national level? 2) What are the socio-economic profiles and motivations of individuals who participate in wildlife crime? 3) In the eyes of local people, government and conservation managers, which interventions are most effective in reducing wildlife crime and contributing towards poverty alleviation? www.iied.org 3 WILDLIFE CRIME: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE ON DRIVERS AND IMPACTS IN UGANDA Other outputs of the project will include: ● A review of existing data and evidence to examine trends in levels of wildlife crime, levels of law enforcement and levels of investment in community development initiatives in Uganda’s national parks and wildlife reserves ● A research report summarising our findings with respect to the research questions posed above ● A wildlife crime database for use by UWA to record details of crime incidences in protected areas ● An event at CITES CoP17 highlighting preliminary research findings and policy responses. 4 www.iied.org CONTENTS Contents A cknowledgements 2 Pro-poor responses to wildlife crime in Uganda, the project 3 Acronyms 7 Executive summary 8 1 Introduction 15 2 Defining wildlife crime and poverty in a Ugandan context 19 Wildlife crime 19 Poverty 21 3 The policy and institutional framework for conservation and wildlife crime in Uganda 23 4 Extent of wildlife crime in Uganda 29 Ugandan wildlife crime in an international context 33 Elephants and rhinos 33 Pangolins 35 Great apes 37 Birds 37 5 Drivers of wildlife crime 39 International context 39 Drivers of wildlife crime in Uganda 41 Subsistence 41 Commercial 44 Perceived injustice 45 Cultural traditions 48 Political influence 49 6 Conditions enabling wildlife crime 51 International context 51 Conditions enabling wildlife crime in Uganda 53 www.iied.org 5 WILDLIFE CRIME: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE ON DRIVERS AND IMPACTS IN UGANDA 7 Impacts of wildlife crime on poor people and countries 55 International context 55 Impacts of wildlife crime in Uganda 58 8 Impacts of interventions against wildlife crime on poor people 63 International context 63 Impacts of interventions in Uganda 67 Law enforcement 68 Revenue sharing and development projects 72 Regulated resource access 81 Reformed Poachers Associations 84 Conservation education and sensitisation 85 9 Case studies 87 10 Conclusions and recommendations 91 What are the main drivers of wildlife crime in Uganda? 92 To what extent does poverty drive wildlife crime? 93 What impacts does wildlife crime have on local people and more broadly? 94 What interventions are used to reduce wildlife crime in Uganda, and what effect do they have on local people and wildlife crime? 95 Recommendations for policy, implementation and research 96 References 98 Appendices 113 Appendix 1: Methodology 113 Appendix 2: Evidence of wildlife crime in Uganda’s protected areas 116 Appendix 3: Case study — Bushmeat hunting 124 Appendix 4: Case study — Ivory 131 Appendix 5: Case study — Firewood collection 136 Appendix 6: Case study — Timber 138 Appendix 7: Case study — Medicinal plants 141 6 www.iied.org ACRONYMS Acronyms ARU Authorised Resource User MoU Memorandum of Understanding BMCT Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Trust MUIENR Makerere University Institute for the Environment and National Resources CAM Conservation Area Manager MUP Multiple Use Programme CARE-DTC CARE Development Through Conservation MUZ Multiple Use Zone CFM Collaborative Forestry Management NFA National Forest Authority CITES Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species NGO Non-Governmental Organisation CoP Conference of Parties NP National Park CRM Collaborative Resource Management OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo PA Protected Area EIA Environmental Investigation Agency RPA Reformed Poachers’ Association ETIS Elephant Trade Information System TRAFFIC Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna FR Forest Reserve in Commerce (the wildlife trade monitoring GDP Gross Domestic Product network) ICD Integrated Conservation and Development UCF Uganda Conservation Foundation IGCP International Gorilla Conservation Programme U-PCLG Uganda Poverty and Conservation Learning Group IUCN International Union for