Challenges and conservation implications of the parrot trade in Cameroon

Abstract

Humans in every culture exploit wildlife resources around them to satisfy their immediate needs using many different methods. Similarly, parrots are exploited in Cameroon in various ways, for both consumptive and non-consumptive uses, by many cultures there. Trading in parrots is the biggest form of wild bird exploitation, and it is carried out by both the public and the private sectors, to satisfy both local and international demands. This paper therefore examined the challenges and conservation implications of the parrot trade in Cameroon. Focus groups and ground research teams were used for data collection in the national territory. It was evident from the results that the main stakeholders in this trade were the government and the private sector, and the driving force behind the trade were unemployment and poverty. Primary sources of Grey Parrots were the three rainforest regions of Cameroon. The frequency of occurrence of the Grey Parrot in the trade exceeded the numbers of other parrot species traded. The future of the trade in Cameroon is not certain as some of its activities are not in harmony with modern approaches to sustainable wildlife conservation and management. These challenges form the basis of the debate on the consequences and conservation implications of the parrot trade in Cameroon.

Keywords: Parrot trade, Grey parrot, Psittacus erithacus, conservation implications, wildlife, Cameroon