Illegal bushmeat hunting and trade dynamics in a major road-hub region of the Brazilian Mid North

Abstract

This study was conducted to characterize the illegal bushmeat hunting and trade in Floriano region (Piauí State), an import road hub between Amazon and Northeast regions of Brazil. This is the first study that assesses bushmeat hunting in Mid North of Northeast Brazil. Our main hypothesis is that hunting has completely changed from a purely subsistence scenario to another under multiple demands and with the incorporation of technological resources. We collected data from August 2015 to July 2016 throughout semi-structured questionnaires with 82 hunters and rapid survey at markets. Our study revealed that 14 wild vertebrates are usually hunted in studied areas as source of meat and zootherapeutics. Hunting for subsistence was the main purpose reported by interviewees, nonetheless we detected that virtually all hunters sell wild meat and zootherapeutic products. We found that local hunting is mainly as a nocturnal activity. Our results show that bushmeat hunting and trade are facilitated by modern technologies and these activities turned into a black way supported by very diverse purposes besides subsistence. We suggest more comprehensive conservation strategies, including alternatives to supply urban demand for game meat, environmental education to mitigate involvement in hunting and improved intelligence efforts by environmental agencies.