Uncovering the fruit bat bushmeat commodity chain and the true extent of fruit bat hunting in Ghana, West Africa

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Hauptverfasser: Kamins, A.O., Restif, O., Ntiamoa-Baidu, Y., Suu-Ire, R., Hayman, D.T.S., Cunningham, A.A., Wood, J.L.N., Rowcliffe, J.M.
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Veröffentlicht: Zenodo 2011
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author Kamins, A.O.
Restif, O.
Ntiamoa-Baidu, Y.
Suu-Ire, R.
Hayman, D.T.S.
Cunningham, A.A.
Wood, J.L.N.
Rowcliffe, J.M.
author_facet Kamins, A.O.
Restif, O.
Ntiamoa-Baidu, Y.
Suu-Ire, R.
Hayman, D.T.S.
Cunningham, A.A.
Wood, J.L.N.
Rowcliffe, J.M.
contents (Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) Harvesting, consumption and trade of bushmeat are important causes of both biodiversity loss and potential zoonotic disease emergence. In order to identify possible ways to mitigate these threats, it is essential to improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which bushmeat gets from the site of capture to the consumer's table. In this paper we highlight the previously unrecognized scale of hunting of the African straw-colored fruit bat, Eidolon helvum, a species which is important in both ecological and public health contexts, and describe the commodity chain in southern Ghana for its trade. Based on interviews with 551 Ghanaians, including bat hunters, vendors and consumers, we estimate that a minimum of 128,000 E. helvum bats are sold each year through a commodity chain stretching up to 400 km and involving multiple vendors. Unlike the general bushmeat trade in Ghana, where animals are sold in both specialized bushmeat markets and in restaurants, E. helvum is sold primarily in marketplaces; many bats are also kept by hunters for personal consumption. The offtake estimated in this paper raises serious conservation concerns, while the commodity chain identified in this study may offer possible points for management intervention. The separation of the E. helvum commodity chain from that of other bushmeat highlights the need for species-specific research in this area, particularly for bats, whose status as bushmeat is largely unknown.
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publisher Zenodo
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spellingShingle Uncovering the fruit bat bushmeat commodity chain and the true extent of fruit bat hunting in Ghana, West Africa
Kamins, A.O.
Restif, O.
Ntiamoa-Baidu, Y.
Suu-Ire, R.
Hayman, D.T.S.
Cunningham, A.A.
Wood, J.L.N.
Rowcliffe, J.M.
Bushmeat hunting
Commodity chain
Eidolon helvum
Fruit bat hunting
Ghana
Biodiversity
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Chordata
Animalia
bats
bat
(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) Harvesting, consumption and trade of bushmeat are important causes of both biodiversity loss and potential zoonotic disease emergence. In order to identify possible ways to mitigate these threats, it is essential to improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which bushmeat gets from the site of capture to the consumer's table. In this paper we highlight the previously unrecognized scale of hunting of the African straw-colored fruit bat, Eidolon helvum, a species which is important in both ecological and public health contexts, and describe the commodity chain in southern Ghana for its trade. Based on interviews with 551 Ghanaians, including bat hunters, vendors and consumers, we estimate that a minimum of 128,000 E. helvum bats are sold each year through a commodity chain stretching up to 400 km and involving multiple vendors. Unlike the general bushmeat trade in Ghana, where animals are sold in both specialized bushmeat markets and in restaurants, E. helvum is sold primarily in marketplaces; many bats are also kept by hunters for personal consumption. The offtake estimated in this paper raises serious conservation concerns, while the commodity chain identified in this study may offer possible points for management intervention. The separation of the E. helvum commodity chain from that of other bushmeat highlights the need for species-specific research in this area, particularly for bats, whose status as bushmeat is largely unknown.
title Uncovering the fruit bat bushmeat commodity chain and the true extent of fruit bat hunting in Ghana, West Africa
topic Bushmeat hunting
Commodity chain
Eidolon helvum
Fruit bat hunting
Ghana
Biodiversity
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Chordata
Animalia
bats
bat
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19667774