Wild meat trade over the last 45 years in the Peruvian Amazon |
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Authors: | Pedro Mayor Hani R El Bizri Thais Q Morcatty Kelly Moya Nora Bendayán Samantha Solis Carlos F A Vasconcelos Neto Maire Kirkland Omar Arevalo Tula G Fang Pedro E Pérez-Peña Richard E Bodmer |
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Institution: | 1. Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain;2. ComFauna, Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en Latinoamérica, Iquitos, Peru;3. Oxford Wildlife Trade Research Group, Oxford Brookes University (OBU), Oxford, UK;4. Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana (UNAP), Iquitos, Peru;5. Rede de Pesquisa para Estudos sobre Diversidade, Conservação e Uso da Fauna na Amazônia (REDEFAUNA), Manaus, Brazil;6. Durham University, Durham, UK;7. Gerencia Regional de Asuntos Indígenas, Gobierno Regional de Loreto, Iquitos, Peru;8. Museo de Culturas Indígenas Amazónicas, Iquitos, Peru
ComFauna, Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en Latinoamérica, Iquitos, Peru;9. Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Iquitos, Peru;10. Museo de Culturas Indígenas Amazónicas, Iquitos, Peru |
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Abstract: | The trade in wild meat is an important economic component of rural people's livelihoods, but it has been perceived to be among the main causes of the decline of wildlife species. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light an additional concern of wildlife markets as a major human-health challenge. We analyzed data from the largest longitudinal monitoring (1973–2018) of the most important urban wild-meat markets in Iquitos, Peru, to examine the trends in and impacts of these markets on people's livelihoods. Over the last 45 years, wild meat sales increased at a rate of 6.4 t/year (SD 2.17), paralleling urban population growth. Wild meat sales were highest in 2018 (442 t), contributing US$2.6 million (0.76%) to the regional gross domestic product. Five species of ungulates and rodents accounted for 88.5% of the amount of biomass traded. Vulnerable and Endangered species represented 7.0% and 0.4% of individuals sold, respectively. Despite growth in sales, the contribution of wild meat to overall urban diet was constant: 1–2%/year of total meat consumed. This result was due to greater availability and higher consumption of cheaper meats (e.g., in 2018, poultry was 45.8% cheaper and was the most consumed meat) coupled with the lack of economic incentives to harvest wild meat species in rural areas. Most wild meat was sold salted or smoked, reducing the likelihood of foodborne diseases. Community-based wildlife management plans and the continued trade bans on primates and threatened taxa may avoid biodiversity loss. Considering the recent COVID-19 pandemic, future management plans should include potential viral hosts and regulation and enforcement of hygiene practices in wild-meat markets. |
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Keywords: | Amazonia bushmeat mammals public health sustainability urban markets wildlife trade Amazonía carne de monte comercio de vida silvestre mamíferos mercados urbanos salud pública sustentabilidad 丛林肉 野生动物贸易 城市市场 可持续性 公共卫生 哺乳动物 亚马逊 |
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