THE SUSTAINABILITY OF DUIKER ( SPP.) HUNTING FOR THE BAKA.pdfVIP

African Study Monographs , Suppl. 33: 95-120, May 2006 95 THE SUSTAINABILITY OF DUIKER (CEPHALOPHUS SPP.) HUNTING FOR THE BAKA HUNTER-GATHERERS IN SOUTHEASTERN CAMEROON Hirokazu YASUOKA Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS), Kyoto University ABSTRACT Logging operations brought a boom in the bushmeat trade and wildlife management projects into the heart of the forest in southeastern Cameroon. Hunting pressure on duikers (Cephalophus spp.) reached an unsustainable level because of the intensified hunting in areas close to roads. Control of the bushmeat trade was then reinforced, and the hunting subsided. The excessive control of hunting, however, could negatively affect the standard of living of the local people because animal meat has long been a major source of protein for forest dwellers in the Congo Basin. Before the opening of logging roads, hunting pressure remained within a sustainable level through an extensive use of hunting grounds covering a large area. Therefore, for the local people to maintain their standard of living, it is essential to grant them the right to consume animals for their subsistence in an extensive manner over a large area, as well as to impose some controls on the bushmeat trade. Key Words: Bushmeat; Congo Basin; Logging roads; Rainforest; Wildlife management. INTRODUCTION The depletion of wild animals is one of the burning issues in tropical deforestation.(1) The expansion of logging operations not only destroys the forest landscape, but also depletes wild animals by facilitating the access of poachers and traders into the heart of the forest. Redford (1992) called forest with depleted fauna “empty forest.” Even in uncut forests, an