Community rights and governance

The SWM Programme supports the creation of a departmental platform for sustainable wildlife management in Lastoursville. This platform for discussion and exchange among the various stakeholders (local communities, government bodies, private operators and civil society organizations) will enable them to share their respective challenges and make decisions tailored to the specific circumstances of the department. Hunting management plans are drawn up by community hunting associations. These documents serve as a roadmap committing communities to the sustainable use of wildlife resources and they help position them as key players in biodiversity management within their department. Following a thorough review of 165 legal texts, the Government validated and published a legal profile of the country in December 2021. With technical support from the SWM Programme, the Ministry of Water and Forests established a working group on sustainable wildlife management, drafting five regulatory texts aimed at improving hunting legislation.

Adaptive wildlife management

Ten groups of partner communities actively participated in training sessions on sustainable hunting management and the establishment of hunting associations. Training in association management was provided to 3 075 people and six community association centres were built. Five communities have drawn up game management plans, which have been submitted for official approval. All associations use game monitoring protocols to control harvests and ensure the sustainability of the hunting plan associated with the management plan.

Healthy and sustainable supply chains and consumption

Studies on protein consumption, conducted using a quantitative and socio-anthropological approach, have shown that the bushmeat sector is the only profitable one in the department of Mulundu. The model developed by the SWM Programme is, therefore, based on the establishment of a bushmeat traceability system to ensure that the sector is sustainable, safe and legal. Communities and hunters involved in this sector will then be able to channel their investments towards biodiversity conservation by selling their bushmeat legally, within an organized and regulated supply chain.

Zoonotic risk prevention and management

An assessment of the risks of zoonotic pathogen transmission within the wild meat value chain was carried out. To this end, IRET and a PhD student from CIRMF identified the viruses, parasites and bacteria typically found in game meat, as well as any high-risk practices. A community-based integrated monitoring system for emerging zoonotic risks in the wild meat value chain was designed in collaboration with all stakeholders. With the team’s support, the CIRMF trained members of five pilot village groups (172 people) and the administrative authorities involved in the One Health approach (29 people) to implement the system.