Will aid to poor put wildlif...( decrease in bushmeat consumed and an in...)

decrease in bushmeat consumed and an increase in fish consumption. The authors caution that attempts to reduce the amounts of bushmeat purchased by consumers may produce higher demand for fish. This finding indicates that management of wildlife and fisheries must go hand-in-hand, so that conserving one does not result in overexploitation and loss of the other.

A truly effective method of protecting wildlife populations and the welfare of the rural poor, Wilkie said, would be to use law enforcement to stop non-local hunters from stripping the forest of its wildlife to supply urban dwellers with a luxury item eaten on special occasions.

"In countries such as Gabon, where the poor and wildlife live together, conservation organizations need to work closely with development organizations," added Wilkie. "By understanding how client families use natural resources, we can formulate holistic strategies to protect wildlife and natural resources and promote the welfare security of local people."

WCS President and CEO Steven E. Sanderson said: "To say poverty alleviation and conservation must go together is the easy part. To solve the problems of poor people and wildlife where they actually live their lives is more complicated. It is what we try to do, and it will make the difference between a slogan and a good action agenda."

The Gabonese government has invested significantly in the conservation of wildlife within its borders. In 2002, Gabon created 13 national parks across the country, protecting over 10 percent of its land cover in the process.

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Contact: John Delaney
jdelaney@wcs.org
1-718-220-3275
Wildlife Conservation Society
17-Mar-2005

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