Start the Local and International prosecution of the perpetrators of the Bush Meat Crisis

HELP STOP THE BUSH MEAT CRISIS (B.M.C)!
The Bush Meat crisis is a term that has been coined to define a global phenomenon that is charactorised by the un-sustainable and indescriminate destruction of Wild Life eco-systems for the short term economic benefits from:
The comercialization of Bush Meat.
The comercialization of Wild Life body parts as:
o Trophies.
o Souvenirs.
o Therapeutic remedies.
o Spiritual portions.
o Raw material for the fashion industry.
The comercialization of infants and or Orphans as:
o Pets.
o Bio-medical research specimens.
o Entertainers in Circuses, the animal film industry, hotels, bars and beaches.
o Educational materials in Captive Wild life institutions.
The wood/timber industry.
The mining industry.
The Agro-economic industry.

The cause of this Phenomenon can generally be summarised as the Silent and Active perpetrators of the Bush Meat Crisis.
Silent perpetrators are the consumers of the products from the Bush Meat Crisis and their contribution to the Bush Meat crisis stems mostly from the fact those they create the demand for the Bush meat Crisis by:
Utilizing Blood Stained Wood/minerals
Consuming Bush meat for esthetic/ status value
Association with the exploitation of Wild life Infants and or Orphans in anyway.
Utilizing Wild Life Body Parts as Trophies, Souvenirs, Remedies, Portions and Fashion ornaments
Association with tourism agents that do not impliment eco-tourism principles.
By failing to take an individual stand against the atrocities committed against Wild Life.

Active perpetrators are Authorities, Governments, Companies, Organizations and Individuals whose activities directly and or indirectly contribute to the supply of the products of the Bush Meat Crisis.

Several factors have contributed to the cause and now the escalation of the Bush Meat Crisis, but we find the following to be among the Primary factors:
The presence and enforcement of poorly researched and developed Wild life policies that have only served to;
o Prevent the interaction of the local Communities with the Wild life eco-systems (re-creation, Agriculture, Animal husbandry, Fishing, The wood industry and Mining industry) in favour of wildlife eco-system preservation with out providing alternatives for the economic survival demands of the communities.
o Exclude the communities from perticaipation in Wild Life Conservation.
o Create conflict of interest between the existance of Wild life and the local Communities with in the same Eco-system.
The Absence of and or the failure by the policy makers/ governments to formulate and or enforce In-situ Wild life Conservation, Community Wild life Conservation, Eco-tourism and the Tourism industry in-situ Community Development policies that favour the survival of Wild life but provide alternatives (Education for the children, skills for the teenagers, jobs as rangers e.t.c) for the survival of the Communities.
The Failure by the highly developed and fully self sustaining wild life tourism industry to Participate in the Holistic Conservation of Wild life Ecosystems and in the long term development of the local Communities [Local infrastructure, sanitation (clean water and toilets), schools, health facilities, jobs in the tourism sector, e.t.c] The absence/omission of this fundamental requirement( long term community development) from highly publisied Eco-tourism Principle claimed to be practiced by many tourism sites has created the perception amongst the local communities that wild life has no long term benefits for the communities, is a source of entertainment for the tourist and thus the demand for the short term benefits evidanced by the Bush Meat Crisis. This organization there fore seeks to establish a distinction between the Eco-tourism policy and the Tourism industry in-situ community development policy.
The increasinig in-situ human population that has no other alternative sources of employement/ economic gain other than the Wild life resource.
The Increasing desparate economic Situation through out the Bush Meat Crisis Regions of the world.
The Failure by wild life authorities, companies, organizations and individuals operating in the crisis areas to ensure that their activities and or facilities neither contribute to, nor are used in the perpetration of the Bush Meat Crisis.
The failure by the local and international community/authorities to take decisive steps to condemn and prosecute the pepetrators of the Bush Meat Crisis.

Solutions of the Bush Meat crisis:
The formulation and enforcement of in-situ wildlife conservation, community wildlife conservation, eco-tourism and tourism industry in-situ community development policies which favour wildlife conservation but also provide survival alternatives to the communities.
o Education of the community children will ensure alternative economic opportunities in the futuer and thus break the cycle that currently produces generation after generation of unskilled populations looking to wildlife as the only means of economic survival.
o Opportunities to learn and acquire skills by the teenagers and adults (entrepreneurship, electricians, mechanics, blacksmiths, and e.t.c) will secure immediate job opportunities in other easier vocations and thus turn the attention of the poachers away from the wildlife resource as a means of economic survival.
o Jobs in the wildlife and tourism sectors will also help to divert the attention of these communities from the wildlife resource.

Due to the fact that the wildlife tourism industry has the sole rights to economic utilization of the wildlife resource, it should be their obligation to initiate and sustain the long term community development projects like:
o Development of the local infrastructure.
o Development of basic community sanitation (Clean drinking water, toilets).
o Schools and vocational institutions.
o Health facilities.
The local (in country) and international prosecution of the active and silent perpetrators of the Bush Meat crisis.
The global consensus and commitment to avoid the silent and active perpetration of the Bush Meat crisis.
We have to continue with community education campaigns.
We have to continue with projects addressing the symptoms of the Bush Meat Crisis:
o Orphans (Sanctuaries).
o Victims of the Poaching activities
o In-situ wildlife research programs.
o Wildlife ex-situ breeding and re-introduction programs.
o Snare/trap removal programs
o E.t.c
This organization acknowledges the fact that it will not be easy to foster policy change, formulation, enforcement and the global prosecution of the perpetrators of the Bush Meat crisis. We there fore humbly request for your commitment to creating the civic demand for these actions by signing these petitions.
NB: For any further information, clarification, suggestions, criticisms and support; please log on to our website http://www.insituwildlifeconservation.org
Or contact me in person.
Dr. Kasule Constantine antony
e-mail: [email protected]