baka hunter-gatherers and eco-guards in southeast cameroon ... · baka are reputed for their...
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Baka Hunter-gatherers and Eco-guards in Southeast Cameroon:Positive and Negative Capacities in Illegal Wildlife Trade
William KAMGAING* & Takanori OISHI, Ph.D. **
Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University*
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies**
Limbe, Feb 2016
Local Peoples and Illegal Wildlife Trade in Southeast Cameroon
During the last years, there has been a drastic increase inthe demands of ivory and international poaching.
Mitigating IWT requires an effective reexamination ofchallenges and constraints at different levels in its chainand developping strategies to exploit or tackle them.
At the local level (south-east Cameroon), the Baka hunter-gatherers coexist with the Bantu and peoples from othersparts of Cameroon and neighboring countries.
Conflicts between local peoples and ecoguards haveincreased
The semi-nomadic Baka heavilly depend on the forest forfood, medecine, housing and culture, etc.
Local Peoples and IWT Trade in Southeast Cameroon
Baka have not been consulted when Protected areas weredelimitated, resulting in the restriction of their customaryrights within smaller forest blocks instead of large areas asthey have been using for centuries.
In S.E. Cameroon, three National parks have been
created in the 2000s
(Tegomo et al. 2012)
« Community zones in two National Parks » areplanned to be allocated to recognizing thecustomary rights of the Baka hunter-gatherers
Hunting camps and Resource use areas by Baka Hunter-gatherers
It seems that nothing is planned to build peoples’ capacities for self control of communityhunting grounds, without hunting big games but smaller species for the subsistence.
(Tegomo et al. 2012)
B. Hunting Camp : 27 km from the main road; used for gathering NTFPs (including bushmeat)but has became the main spot of elephant poaching in our study site
Distribution of human tracks and hunting camps
Baka are reputed for their excellent knowledge ofthe rainforest (navigation techniques, wildlifetracking, protection against wild animals, etc.)
Why Baka are used as Mammals and Poachers’ Trackers?
Because of extreme poverty, many forest dwellersseems to be willing to perform any type of job foranyone, at any price.
Baka cannot afford equipments for hunting: Theyare generally recruited, equipped (arms,amunitions, food, etc) and sent to the forest forpoaching.
Not surprisingly, we have seen the same activepoachers being unconsciously recruited in the ranksof anti-poaching teams in the field.
Limitations of Eco-guards in law implementation
Why Baka are extremely vulnerable to law implementation?
Survival in jail is extremely difficult for offenders without the support of theirfamily, especially for the poor Baka.
This complex reality partially explain why:
- Offenders are virtually always physically abused but rarely ceased byecoguards ("instantaneously" corrupted » at the local level by the rich ivory"sponsorer")
- Even when ones (Baka or Bantu) is ceased, they are often released, sometimes a few days later ("late corruption" at higher level in the lawimplementation chain).
1- Resignation » of many eco-guards: No morewillingness to work effectively
Even the less expected persons (includingecoguards, administrative and traditionalauthorities) can be involved in IWT.
Self protection first and then lawimplementation: "First of all, I must protectmyself and my family against the menaces fromIvory bosses"
Limitations of Eco-guards in law implementation
14
18
9
22
17
14
0
5
10
15
20
25
Boumba-BekNP
Lobéké NP Korup NP
1 - 5 years
˃ 5 years
Working experience of eco-guards in threeProtected areas (the same) in 2014 (MINFOF, unpublished data)
Why roads/Control barreers are so porous?
Being active in the area for years, some ecoguardshave built familial (marriage) and friendshiprelationships with locals, have been offeredhousing and land for farming by local peoples,
Consequence: After 3 to 5 years in the samelocalities, ecoguards can no more work efficiently
Increasing the number of eco-guards in protected areas is essential, but willnot or virtually not contribute to reduce IWT if they are not frequentlyaffected to others sites;
While identifying demandors at higher levels of the IWT chain is relativelycomplex, denonciating them seems to be more delicate, especially for eco-guards;
Eco-guards capacities to apply sanctions is hindered by the innate desire toprotect theirselves and their family against the menaces from "ivory bosses"and also by corruption;
Surviving in jail is extremely difficult for offenders, without the support oftheir family, especially for the poor Baka. In consequence, offenders areknown but keep poaching freely in villages.
Conclusion
As they have excellent skills in the forest, the Baka hunter-gatherers areambiguously used as hands of poaching and also as eyes for anti-poaching activities;
Because they are at the sharp edge of the chain and are less able to defendtheirselves, Baka gain limited amounts from poaching but pay almost allthe price of anti-poaching activities;
Local peoples (especially the Baka) are "at the disposal" of anyone and arewilling to do any type of job, for starvation wages;
Conclusion
Baka are involoved in hunting in general NOTONLY for their poverty, but also for their long standing relationshipswith the forest, including hunting animals.
Total ban may be a problem, even if given alternative livelihoodsmeans.
Conclusion
Baka Hunter-gatherers: towards Poaching or Anti-poaching??
It is the time for wildlife managers to reconsider to which side and HowBaka communities should be encouraged to go otherwise IWT will not bemitigated at the local level.
We should better work towards mechanisms to allow them sustainablesubsistence hunting, while protecting rare and endangered species,even though it would be a difficult task for the conservationists.
