1. BUSH MEAT IN WEST AFRICA
Elements for a Draft Action Plan

2. The Bush Meat Crisis
The so-called bush meat crisis derives from the quest to satisfy huge profitable markets leading to overexploitation of the wildlife resources, dramatic conditions of hunting while the national policy, institutional and capacities are unable to cope with the new situation.

3. Aggravating factors
Ever increasing rate of bush meat resources depletion;
The dependence of the communities on bushmeat for protein, income and other cultural needs;
The growing commercialisation of the bush meat trade;
Unresolved and not completely known health implications;
Insufficient awareness of the crisis;
Inadequate support of research aboutvarious aspects of the cris from the assessment of status and management of resoiuurces to appropriate utilization;;
Inadequate government support and political will;
Absence of relevant sub regional cooperation
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4. ...Which established that...
The background of a better management of the whole natural resource sector and in particular of national parks and other protected areas, a comprehensive legal framework and an explicit policy are essential in the efforts to diffuse the bush meat crisis;
A regulated access to bush meat could contribute to food security if basic conditions of sustainability, legality, quality and safety are observed;
The bush meat market is a potential source of income and tool for poverty alleviation calling for policy orientation, legal framework, organization and not forcibly outright ban;
Traditional and cultural values of communities in the sub region hold elements on the basis of which community based or nation-wide awareness and commitment to conservation action, can be enhanced and effectively used for overall sustainable management, conservation and development of wildlife resources;
The biological, legal, economic, social and cultural bases of the exploitation, use and trade in wildlife resources can and must be improved for continued, long term and equitable benefit of all stakeholders.

5. Hence a Draft Action Plan
With a Vision...
West Africa wildlife resources are under sound husbandry at local and national levels, are protected and used in a sustainable way and are providing the right social, economic cultural and environmental benefits to citizens and communities of the region while playing their ecological functions in it.

6. Goals
To build awareness, political commitment and the policy basis for strong consideration on, commitment and action for the management and appropriate development of the bush meat sector;
To build basic capacity at sub regional national level;
To eradicate unlawful and unsustainable practices of bush meat exploitation and marketing;
To lay the basis for equitable access to the resources and social, economic and environmental services and benefits deriving from it;
To establish a strong sub regional cooperation within the sub regional organizations (ECOWAS, UEMOA) and in harmony and synergy with the NEPAD initiatives on natura

7. A Time-frame

8. Activities, Programmes and Projects recommended…
1. Laying the minimal basis for the management of the bush meat sector:
11. Build awareness at national level and establish national policy for the management and conservation of wildlife and protected areas including specific needs of and considerations on the bush meat sector;
12. Review legislation and regulation taking care of the bush meat including management of resources, exploitation, exchange and trade;
1.3. Further develop understanding and intelligence of the bush meat economic and social fabric (operators, intermediaries, markets, economic and financial values, volume exploited);
14. Evaluate implications of a regional and global market of bush meat in definition and classification, hygiene and health related measures and take relevant corrective action;
1.5. Develop an enabling policy, legal and institutional environment taking account of the regional and sub regional setting;
Partnerships: national governments; international organizations; sub regional organizations.

9. . Establishing or restoring institutional set-up and national capacity
21. Review and update of the institutional set up;
22. Review and reorganize training institutions at national and sub regional levels;
2.3: Review of existing work force (managers and technicians) and derive training needs.
Partnerships: Governments; international organizations and NGOs

10. 3. Increase awareness of and education on wildlife resources management and bush meat exploitation, use and trade.
To be successful an education and awareness raising programme would encompass the local, national, sub regional and international levels
31. Mount national and local campaign projects to increase awareness of the bush meat issues at local and national levels;
32. Explore national traditional values and practices conducive to better conservation of resources and in particular the wildlife and plant resources;
33. Mount alliances with the education sector, Chiefs and traditional communities to promote education and awareness-raising in wildlife resources and bush meat issues;
3.4. Promote or participate in international alliances on education and awareness raising and send the true and right messages on the bush meat problems and opportunities

11. 4. Building understanding of the contribution of bush meat to food security and poverty alleviation with special considerations to:
41. Identifying and establishing the conditions needed for bush meat to be a sustainable resource for food security
42. Making bush meat a healthy food
4.3. Explore alternatives in bush meat collection: game species rearing; ranching.
Partnerships: Governments; NGOs; WWF; FAO; UICN; Conservation International.
5. Addressing opportunities and barriers to bush meat trade
5.1: increasing accessibility, enlarging the scope;
5.2. Gathering information on and evaluating national, sub regional and in particular international barriers to bush meat trade;
5.3. Establish minimal norms and standards to facilitate trade in bush meat
5.4. Study and document the inter relationships of bush meat production and sales within the forestry sector and other major sectors such as transport and establish alliances with operators in those sectors.

12. 6. Developing a strong sub regional cooperation and networking on bush meat issues:
6.1. Build awareness of the bush meat issues in the sub regional organizations and incorporate in their programmes elements which address the bush meat issues and promote cooperation; (UEMOA, ECOWAS, CILSS … Etc)
6.2: Develop approaches and norms to regulate and facilitate trans-frontier movement of animal and animal products among countries;
6.3 Undertake/facilitate comparative studies of key areas important in the bush meat trade and with urgent priority on policies, legislation and trade practices

13. 7. Maintaining Responses and Leveraging Resources to fund ecosystem conservation and sound wildlife resources management and use
7.1 Establishment of a Steering committee of experts on West African Bush Meat Crisis and promoting networking of specialists and stakeholders;
7.2: Mobilise sub regional organizations to address and eventually fund wildlife resources conservation, management and sustainable use;
7.3. Promote continued programme and project elaboration and fund raising at national and sub regional level;
7.4. Organize a mid term evaluation meeting in 2008 and a second West Africa Bush meat Conference in 2010