THE SUSTAINABILITY OF DUIKER (CEPHALOPHUS SPP.) HUNTING FOR THE BAKA HUNTER-GATHERERS IN SOUTHEASTERN CAMEROON

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.