Consumption of bush meat widespread, aiding wildlife trade – Report

A new survey report by the WildAid on Friday indicated that the high consumption of bush meat in Nigeria is aiding illegal wildlife trade despite existing laws prohibiting such.

According to the report, 71% of those surveyed in major cities of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Calabar had consumed bush meat at some points in their lives and 45% had consumed it within the last one year.

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WildAid is a non-profit organization with a mission to end illegal wildlife trade. It works primarily to reduce global consumption of wildlife products such as elephant ivory, rhino horn and shark fin soup.

The report noted that the consumption of bush meat only declined during the Ebola outbreak but increased again “after publicity died down.”

According to the report, “The bushmeat trade is prevalent in West and Central Africa, with Nigeria being the transit point for illegal wildlife trade.”

Speaking at the presentation of the report on Friday, Director, Federal Department of Forestry, Ministry of Environment, Rasak Adekola said, “The term ‘bushmeat’ is freely used in Nigeria to describe wildlife species erroneously believed to be free and available for poaching and consumption.

“In most cases, poachers are oblivious of the fact that these wild animals are protected by law. WildAid’s campaign against bushmeat consumption is a highly commendable and timely initiative that will not only assist in ensuring that our wild animals are left in the wild, but also help in the control and keeping zoonotic diseases at bay.

“The outcome of the survey is quite revealing and will definitely form the basis for our step-up action against bushmeat consumption in Nigeria.”

On his part, WildAid West African Representative, Linus Unah stressed the need for the education of the urban populace on the danger of consumption of bushmeat.