Ride, shoot, and call: wildlife use among contemporary urban hunters in Três Fronteiras, Brazilian Amazon
Most bushmeat studies in the Amazon region focus on hunting patterns of indigenous populations in rural settings. Our study describes the existence of urban hunters in medium-sized towns. Using a variety of data collection methods, we describe the main socioeconomic characteristics of urban hunters...
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doaj-ae443e02f8d44cfaa43088537ca2b9582020-11-24T22:57:42ZengResilience AllianceEcology and Society1708-30872015-09-01203810.5751/ES-07506-2003087506Ride, shoot, and call: wildlife use among contemporary urban hunters in Três Fronteiras, Brazilian AmazonNathalie van Vliet0Daniel Cruz1Maria Paula Quiceno-Mesa2Lindon Jonhson Neves de Aquino3Jessica Moreno4Rairon Ribeiro5John Fa6Center for International Forestry ResearchFundación Science International - CIFORFundación Science InternationalUniversidade Federal do AmazonasFundación Science InternationalUniversidade Federal do Amazonas, Instituto Natureza e CulturaCenter for International Forestry ResearchMost bushmeat studies in the Amazon region focus on hunting patterns of indigenous populations in rural settings. Our study describes the existence of urban hunters in medium-sized towns. Using a variety of data collection methods, we describe the main socioeconomic characteristics of urban hunters in Benjamin Constant and Atalaia do Norte, Brazil. We analyze the patterns and motivations of urban hunters as well as the type of prey harvested and quantities traded. All interviewed hunters are caboclos, people of mixed Brazilian indigenous and European origins from rural areas who now live in urban and peri-urban areas. Living in these more populated spaces allows these hunters better market options for their harvest and allows them to alternate hunting with other economic activities. Only 29% of the interviewed hunters relied solely on hunting. In total, 11.6 tons of bushmeat were harvested (of which 97% was traded) by four hunters during the monitoring period (60 days). The most hunted species were terecay (Podocnemis unifilis), curassow (Crax sp.), paca (Cuniculus paca), and tapir (Tapirus terrestris). The ratio of bushmeat sold to that consumed, as well as the level of participation in the bushmeat market chain, allowed us to differentiate between specialized and diversified hunters. Specialized hunters sell 81% of the bushmeat caught to known wholesalers in the city. Diversified hunters sell 21% of their total catch to families, neighbors, or friends directly as fresh meat, avoiding intermediaries. For all hunters, hunting localities are associated with peri-urban roadways that are easily reached by motorbike or bicycle from the hunters' houses in the urban areas or city fringes. Our results show that urban hunters in medium-sized towns exemplify how traditional hunting systems can be adapted in the face of globalization, by living close to the market, at relatively manageable distances from hunting grounds, and using modern methods of transportation and communication to bypass law enforcement.http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol20/iss3/art8/Brazilbushmeathuntingsubsistence huntingTrês Fronteirasurban hunters |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Nathalie van Vliet Daniel Cruz Maria Paula Quiceno-Mesa Lindon Jonhson Neves de Aquino Jessica Moreno Rairon Ribeiro John Fa |
spellingShingle |
Nathalie van Vliet Daniel Cruz Maria Paula Quiceno-Mesa Lindon Jonhson Neves de Aquino Jessica Moreno Rairon Ribeiro John Fa Ride, shoot, and call: wildlife use among contemporary urban hunters in Três Fronteiras, Brazilian Amazon Ecology and Society Brazil bushmeat hunting subsistence hunting Trê s Fronteiras urban hunters |
author_facet |
Nathalie van Vliet Daniel Cruz Maria Paula Quiceno-Mesa Lindon Jonhson Neves de Aquino Jessica Moreno Rairon Ribeiro John Fa |
author_sort |
Nathalie van Vliet |
title |
Ride, shoot, and call: wildlife use among contemporary urban hunters in Três Fronteiras, Brazilian Amazon |
title_short |
Ride, shoot, and call: wildlife use among contemporary urban hunters in Três Fronteiras, Brazilian Amazon |
title_full |
Ride, shoot, and call: wildlife use among contemporary urban hunters in Três Fronteiras, Brazilian Amazon |
title_fullStr |
Ride, shoot, and call: wildlife use among contemporary urban hunters in Três Fronteiras, Brazilian Amazon |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ride, shoot, and call: wildlife use among contemporary urban hunters in Três Fronteiras, Brazilian Amazon |
title_sort |
ride, shoot, and call: wildlife use among contemporary urban hunters in três fronteiras, brazilian amazon |
publisher |
Resilience Alliance |
series |
Ecology and Society |
issn |
1708-3087 |
publishDate |
2015-09-01 |
description |
Most bushmeat studies in the Amazon region focus on hunting patterns of indigenous populations in rural settings. Our study describes the existence of urban hunters in medium-sized towns. Using a variety of data collection methods, we describe the main socioeconomic characteristics of urban hunters in Benjamin Constant and Atalaia do Norte, Brazil. We analyze the patterns and motivations of urban hunters as well as the type of prey harvested and quantities traded. All interviewed hunters are caboclos, people of mixed Brazilian indigenous and European origins from rural areas who now live in urban and peri-urban areas. Living in these more populated spaces allows these hunters better market options for their harvest and allows them to alternate hunting with other economic activities. Only 29% of the interviewed hunters relied solely on hunting. In total, 11.6 tons of bushmeat were harvested (of which 97% was traded) by four hunters during the monitoring period (60 days). The most hunted species were terecay (Podocnemis unifilis), curassow (Crax sp.), paca (Cuniculus paca), and tapir (Tapirus terrestris). The ratio of bushmeat sold to that consumed, as well as the level of participation in the bushmeat market chain, allowed us to differentiate between specialized and diversified hunters. Specialized hunters sell 81% of the bushmeat caught to known wholesalers in the city. Diversified hunters sell 21% of their total catch to families, neighbors, or friends directly as fresh meat, avoiding intermediaries. For all hunters, hunting localities are associated with peri-urban roadways that are easily reached by motorbike or bicycle from the hunters' houses in the urban areas or city fringes. Our results show that urban hunters in medium-sized towns exemplify how traditional hunting systems can be adapted in the face of globalization, by living close to the market, at relatively manageable distances from hunting grounds, and using modern methods of transportation and communication to bypass law enforcement. |
topic |
Brazil bushmeat hunting subsistence hunting Trê s Fronteiras urban hunters |
url |
http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol20/iss3/art8/ |
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