Bio-diversity

This project seeks to raise local community awareness on the impact of unsustainable hunting practices, local bushmeat trade and encroachment into the Southern Bakundu reserve on the well being of local populations and that of wild animal species, particularly those that are legally protected by national wildlife laws and listed under IUCN red list. In addition, it will address issues of information on Cameroon s wildlife policy and regulations, community organization into wildlife management groups as monitors of illegal hunting of endangered species such as chimpanzees, drills and threatened species of monkeys in the Southern Bakundu Forest Reserve region in the SW province of Cameroon. Furthermore, the project will address issues of poverty by introducing and promoting alternative activities to hunting and by so doing promote wildlife conservation through non-consumptive use of biodiversity to alleviate poverty among forest-dwelling people. Some of the alternatives that people agreed to do include: snail farming, pig farming, beekeeping, scale-scale poultry and vegetable gardening. Such activities are intended to meet with the food and income requirements of local people while guarding against uncontrolled hunting and bushmeat trading.

Cameroon