Boston College, Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculties, Waul House, 270 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
Conserv Biol. 2012 Apr;26(2):335-44. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01802.x. Epub 2011 Dec 19.
Hunted wild animals (i.e., bushmeat) are a main source of protein for many rural populations in the tropics, and the unsustainable harvest of these animals puts both human food security and ecosystem functioning at risk. To understand the correlates of bushmeat consumption, we surveyed 1219 households in 121 rural villages near three newly established national parks in Gabon. Through the surveys we gathered information on bushmeat consumption, income, and material assests. In addition, we quantified land cover in a 5-km radius around the village center and distance of the village center to the nearest park boundary. Bushmeat was not a source of income for most households, but it was the primary animal protein consumed. Ninety-seven percent of households consumed bushmeat at least once during a survey period of 12 days. Income or wealth, land cover, distance of village to the nearest park boundary, and level of education of the head of the household were among the factors that significantly related to the likelihood of consuming any of the 10 most commonly consumed species of bushmeat. Household size was the predictor most strongly associated with quantities of bushmeat consumed and was negatively related to consumption. Total bushmeat consumption per adult male equivalent increased as household wealth increased and decreased as distance of villages to park boundaries increased. Bushmeat consumption at the household level was not related to unit values (i.e., price estimates for a good that typically does not have a market value; estimates derived from willingness to sell or trade the good for items of known price) of bushmeat or the price of chicken and fish as potential substitutes. The median consumption of bushmeat at the village level, however, was negatively related to village mean unit values of bushmeat across all species. Our results suggest that a lack of alternative protein sources motivated even the wealthiest among surveyed households to consume bushmeat. Providing affordable, alternative protein sources to all households would likely reduce unsustainable levels of bushmeat consumption in rural Gabon.
狩猎野生动物（即野味）是热带地区许多农村人口的主要蛋白质来源，而这些动物的不可持续收获既威胁到人类的粮食安全，也威胁到生态系统的功能。为了了解野味消费的相关因素，我们调查了加蓬三个新建立的国家公园附近的 121 个农村村庄的 1219 户家庭。通过调查，我们收集了有关野味消费、收入和物质资产的信息。此外，我们还量化了村庄中心周围 5 公里半径内的土地覆盖情况以及村庄中心到最近公园边界的距离。野味对大多数家庭来说并不是收入来源，但它是主要的动物蛋白质来源。在为期 12 天的调查期间，97%的家庭至少食用过一次野味。家庭收入或财富、土地覆盖、村庄到最近公园边界的距离以及家庭户主的受教育程度是与消费 10 种最常见野味的可能性显著相关的因素之一。家庭规模是与野味消费数量最密切相关的预测因素，与消费呈负相关。每个成年男性相当于野味消费总量随着家庭财富的增加而增加，随着村庄到公园边界的距离的增加而减少。家庭层面的野味消费与野味的单位价值（即通常没有市场价值的商品的价格估计；从愿意出售或交易该商品以获得已知价格的商品中得出的估计）或鸡肉和鱼类作为潜在替代品的价格无关。然而，从村庄层面来看，野味的消费中位数与所有物种的村庄平均野味单位价值呈负相关。我们的研究结果表明，缺乏替代蛋白质来源甚至促使调查家庭中最富有的家庭消费野味。为所有家庭提供负担得起的替代蛋白质来源，可能会降低农村加蓬不可持续的野味消费水平。
