Wildlife and economic policies affecting the bushmeat trade: a framework for analysis

Hunting wildlife for food is a long-established component of livelihoods throughout theworld.However,thereisincreasingconcernthatwildlifeisdisappearingduetooverhunting,with associated impacts on both livelihoods and biodiversity. Tropical forest systemsare particularly vulnerable, due to a unique combination of ecosystem, socioeconomic,technological and institutional constraints.Many approaches to reducing hunting pressurehave been suggested, all of which impact on users to some extent. However, there hasbeen little rigorous analysis of how these impacts are distributed. Here we discuss the keydeterminantsofimpactdistribution,includingwhoistargeted,whoimplementsthepolicies,abilityandwillingnesstocomplywithenforcementmeasures,andecosystemcharacteristics.We then present a case study where the framework is applied, and conclude with anapproach for planning policy interventions.Key words