Supply & Demand for Bushmeat
The unsustainable commercial bushmeat trade is a simple problem of supply and demand.
The supply of bushmeat from forests is low, as the density of large mammal species is naturally relatively low in these zones, and many of the largest animals have long gestation periods and relatively high infant mortality rates. All these factors together mean that overall animal biomass productivity is very low, and it is very difficult for many species’ populations to recover from excessive commercial hunting.
At the same time, a lack of alternative protein sources means that demand for bushmeat in urban centers and logging camps is high. Domestic animals such as goats and chickens are raised in villages, but rarely in large numbers and certainly not in quantities sufficient to provide a reliable food source. At the same time, large-scale farming is hindered by lack of pasture habitat and the presence of tsetse flies, which spread disease, preventing cattle ranching on a large scale.