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Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Bushmeat is an important component of the informal economy throughout West and Central Africa. In order to formulate effective policy to ensure the sustainability of bushmeat hunting for both development and conservation reasons, there is a need to understand its position within the wider rural economy. We conducted interviews with households and hunters over a 15-month period in a village in continental Equatorial Guinea which supplies substantial quantities of bushmeat to the urban market, to evaluate (1) whether hunting is predominately for income or consumption and through choice or necessity, and (2) the factors influencing household production of and consumption and expenditure on bushmeat. Hunting for trade to urban markets is a major component of household incomes, carried out by around 60% of poor-to-middle income households, while richer households have other income-generating activities. The greater a hunter’s bushmeat offtake, the higher the proportion sold. Bushmeat forms a minor component of household expenditure and is less widely consumed than alternative protein sources. It is a necessity good, with consumption and expenditure on bushmeat related less than proportionately to income. While they prefer the security of a regular wage, hunting is an important source of fall-back income for men in the absence of preferable alternative livelihood opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impact of hunting on wildlife populations is crucial to achieving sustainability and requires knowledge of prey abundance responses to different levels of exploitation. While the abundance of primates has been shown to respond independently to hunting and habitat, habitat is rarely considered simultaneously when evaluating the impacts of hunting. Furthermore, the importance of these two factors in determining the abundance of other species has not been well investigated. We evaluate the independent effects of hunting and habitat on the abundance of a diverse assemblage of species, using a series of predictions and data from a study in Equatorial Guinea. Line transect surveys in sites of varying hunting intensity and habitat, and weekly interviews with hunters on current hunting effort in each site, were conducted. We also consider the role of past hunting, and discuss the interrelationships between hunting and habitat variables. We show that for primates, hunting is important in determining abundance, while for rodents and duikers, habitat is more important. Our findings show that the effects of hunting and habitat on abundance vary greatly between species, are often confounded and require an approach that isolates their independent effects to determine the true impact of hunting. Conservation managers must consider and incorporate habitat heterogeneity when managing hunting systems, taking into account the way in which the relative importance of these factors can vary between species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bushmeat hunting is threatening wildlife populations across west-central Africa, and now poses a greater threat to primates than habitat loss or degradation does in some areas. However, species vary in their abilities to withstand hunting, either because hunters target them differentially or they vary in their vulnerability to a given level of hunting. We studied the impact of current levels of gun-hunting on diurnal primate species in the little-studied Monte Mitra area of Monte Alén National Park, continental Equatorial Guinea. Most bushmeat is currently trapped, but gun-hunting is increasing as shotguns become more available and affordable, allowing targeting of arboreal as well as terrestrial prey. We collected data over 15-mo, via hunter interviews, gun-hunter follows, an offtake survey recording 9374 individuals, and primate surveys covering 408 km of line transects in 2 sites with differing gun-hunting histories. Inside the park, where gun-hunting pressure was recent and light, we found high primate diversity, density, and biomass, with black colobus ( Colobus satanas) particularly abundant at 57 individuals/km2. However, around the village, where gun-hunting was longer-established, though other species such as the guenons still persisted (albeit at lower densities), Colobus satanas were virtually absent. Being slow and large-bodied, Colobus satanas are preferred and susceptible prey, and an early indicator of overhunting. Monte Alén National Park is currently an important stronghold for primates, particularly Colobus satanas, but regulation of the trade and enforcement of hunting bans in the park are urgently needed to safeguard their future and that of other vulnerable species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]