Do communities understand the impacts of unlawful bushmeat hunting and trade? Insights from villagers bordering Western Nyerere National Park Tanzania

Assessing local people's understanding of the consequences of unsustainable bushmeat-related activities on conservation is an important step toward developing effective solutions to decrease unlawful hunting activities. The current study investigated the knowledge regarding the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of illegal bushmeat activities among villagers adjacent to western Nyerere National Park Tanzania. The two terminologies i.e., “hunting” and “trade” were collectively used herein as “bushmeat trade”. We collected data from 261 households and 24 key informants using a semi-structured questionnaire and an interview guide, respectively. Results show that 84% of local residents know that bushmeat trade directly threatens wildlife by reducing the population of hunted species. Nearly half of the respondents also appreciate the benefits of wildlife conservation. Regarding the trend of bushmeat trade in the study area, the majority (80%) of the respondents stated that the activity is decreasing. Moreover, the study revealed that the knowledge variation regarding the impacts of bushmeat trade is significantly influenced by education level, age and proximity to the park boundaries. Interventions aimed at addressing the illegal bushmeat trade should consider demographic factors and ensure that conservation programmes are extended to both nearby and distant villages from the park boundaries for enhanced and impactful results.