Wild meat trade over the last 45 years in the Peruvian Amazon

Mayor, P; Rocha El Bizri, H; Morcatty, TQ; Moya, K; Bendayan, N; Solis, S; Neto, C; Kirkland, M; Arevalo, O; Fang, TG; Perez-Pena, P; Bodmer, RE

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. Communitybased 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.

Citation

Mayor, P., Rocha El Bizri, H., Morcatty, T., Moya, K., Bendayan, N., Solis, S., …Bodmer, R. (2021). Wild meat trade over the last 45 years in the Peruvian Amazon. Conservation Biology, 36(2), https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13801

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 22, 2021
• Publication Date: Jun 30, 2021
• Deposit Date: May 4, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: May 4, 2023
• Journal: Conservation Biology
• Print ISSN: 0888-8892
• Publisher: Wiley
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13801
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13801