ABSTRACT
This chapter presents findings from in the Lekoumou Department, southern Republic of Congo, and describes a regional bush-meat supply chain from Lekoumou into urban centers. The science of conservation crime or conservation criminology, is relevant for exploring the illegal overexploitation of bushmeat by offering an integrative means for addressing both natural and societal dimensions inherent in bushmeat trafficking. The hunters, transporter, and vendors discussed enforcement obstacles to the bushmeat trade, which they felt were less worrisome than the situational obstacles for hunters and vendors. The efficacy of traditional enforcement strategies to address the illegal bushmeat trade are often undermined in conservation context by issues of corruption, weak penal systems, and lack of resources for adequate law enforcement efforts. There are a number of techniques that can be leveraged to reduce provocations for bushmeat trade. There are opportunities to remove excuses associated with the bushmeat trade in form of alerting public consciousness, providing cooperative extension, and leveraging incentives and alternative benefits.
