In the next five to twenty years, some of our bushmeat delicacies will be no more, if the current rate of bushmeat hunting and eating goes on. About 384,000 metric tons of bushmeat valued at $350 million is harvested annually, conservationists say.
"At the rate we are going, in twenty years, most of the animals will be gone," says Okyeame Apadu-Agyei, Country Director of Conservation International, an environmental conservation NGO.
But other conservationists paint an even gloomier picture. Samuel Nyame of the Ghana Wildlife Society, who has been working on bushmeat for the last twenty- five years says the effect of the bushmeat crisis will start telling in the next five years. Over the years, the quantity and weights of bushmeat has been consistently going down, Nyame points out.
Bushmeat vendors at the Bushmeat vendors at the Kantamanto market who spoke to WeekendAgenda confirmed that their supplies from the hinterland have been declining over the years.
Aside the market trends, there are other symptoms. About 95 per cent of Ghana's unprotected forests have what scientists call the empty forest syndrome. Forests are said to have this syndrome when the plant life of the forest is intact, but has no or little animal life in the forest.
Scientists warn that the country will pay heavily for the over exploitation of bushmeat. For instance, some of the country's hard wood species cannot be regenerated because of the extinction of some animal species that have a role in their perpetuation.
Perpetuating most plant life hinges on some animal species. For instance, Abako (Tiengheemelia heckelii) germinates well only when the seeds have passed through the elephant's gut and deposited in the dung. There are about 48 other species of forest trees that grow through the elephant's dung.
" Foresters have found it very difficult to raise "odum" seedlings. Who knows whether we have not eaten the animals or birds which are responsible for planting the odum tree," asks Okyeame Apadu-Agyei. Aside the impact of wildlife on the perpetuation of plant life, they also have medicinal value.
The fat extracted from pythons and manatees is used to cure rheumatism, boils and backaches. Oils from leather-back turtle is used in the treatment of stroke fevers, general body pains, skin diseases and constipation. The elephant dung is also used for treating skin rashes, boils, stomach disorders and convulsion in children.
The country's socio-cultural life is in danger, says Okyeame Apadu-Agyei.
At the palaces of most authorities chiefs, there are various totemic emblems beautifully carved on lineage staffs and on the Akyeame's staffs. It could be said that totems are the flags of the clans. They are chosen because they are real natural objects which, unlike concepts and values, are easily apprehended and represented. "They serve as group unity," says Okyeame Apadu-Agyei. But during the last 30 years, due to the unsustainable hunting practices, most of the animals represented by the totems are critically endangered or extinct.
Scientists trace the over exploitation of bushmeat to a number of factors. They include passing the overseeing of forest and wildlife in communities from traditional ruler to the State. Thus there is no legal backing for traditional conservation norms.
Also, over the last three decades, there has been shift from traditional subsistence use of bushmeat to unsustainable exploitation for commercial purposes.
Conservationists consider the ban on bushmeat hunting during the closed season as a timely intervention to save Ghana. The close season begins from August 1 to December 1 every year. Under LI685 it is an offence for any body to hunt, capture or destroy any young animals or female animal accompanied by their young during this period.
Nicholas Ankudey, the Executive Director, of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission explains the rationale behind the closed season. It is the period where most wild animals particularly mammals such as Duiker, Bush pig, Honey badger, pangolins, porcupines and Royal antelope to mention a few are been followed by young. "It is therefore imperative that the animals are given a respite from hunting to wean their young for a successful recruitment into the next generation.
Non-observance of the close season therefore undermines the very existence of wild animal populations and deprives Ghanaians of a valuable resource for sustainable development," Says Ankudey
Conservationists have proposed a number of measures that will mitigated the rate of bush meat exploitation going on.
The measures include banning the hunting of highly endangered species throughout the country, the imposition of heavy tax system on the export of bushmeat among others. The police should also be empowered to arrest and prosecute group hunters and anybody using fire and dangerous chemicals for hunting.
They have also suggested setting up community resource management areas to resolve the problem. Under this scheme, the community demarcate areas as havens for wildlife. The havens are opened to the community for limited periods after the wildlife have taken stock. Proceeds from the sale of the game go to the community.
They have also floated the idea of domesticating some popular species of bushmeat. Conservation International, for example, has successfully bred 80 grasscutters. Beef and mutton can also be smoked to taste and have the flavour of bush meat, according to scientists and the use of this could reduce demand for bushmeat.
They said that above all, measures that address poverty should be built into the community structure, if people have other alternative means of generating income, they will stop poaching wildlife.
"We need to act decisively We need to mobilise the human and financial resources to address this crisis," advises Okyeame Apadu-Agyei.
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