Offtake Numbers at 5-Yearly Intervals over a 10 Year-Period in the Catchment Area of a Rural Bushmeat Market, Rivers State, Nigeria

The first step in making the exploitation of wildlife more sustainable is to determine the sustainability of current levels of harvest. This has two components: determining the offtake from an area; determining the effect this offtake has on the species concerned. Investigations were undertaken over a 10-year period (2005, 2009, 2014) to monitor offtake numbers at 4-6 year intervals and their effects on species concerned in the catchment area of a rural bushmeat market. The area was approximately 105km2, in lowland rainforest, dominated by secondary vegetation and fragmented by farms. Carcasses of hunted wildlife were identified in early rainy season (May-June) in each of the three years (2005, 2009, 2014). Detailed keys were used for identification. Carcasses were identified and counted daily; weekly totals were pooled and monthly totals obtained. Monthly totals for May and June in each year were added. From 2005 to 2009, there were 2-12 fold increases in number of most species. The greatest increase was in Thyronomus swinderianus. Between 2009 and 2014, there were 2-10 fold increases in number of most species; the highest increases were in Xerus erythropus and Cercopithecus mona. There were 50-75% decreases in a few species (Genetta poensis, Cephalophus maxwelli, Thyronomus swinderianus, Numida melagris galeata) during the period. There were no significant differences in total numbers of offtakes among the three years (P=0.3989>5% significant level). Differences in numbers for each species among the three years were significant (P=0.002<5% significant level). The differences in the relative proportions among species in the three years were significant (P=0.016<5% significant level). Differences in total numbers among years were not significant and offtakes did not lead to very low numbers or cause local extinction.