As demand for urban bushmeat increases, bushmeat markets become a prime location for generating information to ensure the trade in wild meat is maintained at sustainable levels. This report details the efficacy of the Central Africa Bushmeat Monitoring System (SYVBAC) in bushmeat markets, and its potential to identify possible sources of zoonotic disease, finding that:

• SYVBAC can be effectively used to monitor the bushmeat trade in central Africa urban markets, as well as its ecological, economic, and social impacts.
• SYVBAC is currently insufficient in determining whether bushmeat markets play a role in the transmission of zoonotic disease.
• Additional indicators are required to identify the market’s role in zoonotic disease transmission, which would require the cooperation of organisations involved in the One Health approach.

TESTING the central Africa bushmeat monitoring system (SYvbac) in urban markets

The rise of urban bushmeat

While hunting wild animals is a customary practice for rural people in central Africa, demand for bushmeat continues to grow among the wealthy. As you journey toward central Africa’s urban centres, the price of bushmeat, and the profits for hunters, rise. This strengthens the value chain of wild animals from rural to urban markets and encourages unsustainable hunting practices in rural Africa.

A large proportion of wild meat on sale in bushmeat markets travels from the forests of the Congo Basin, changing hands between rural dwellers and city-goers. The Congo Basin region has been associated with several outbreaks, many of which have been attributed to close human-animal contact with bats and Non-Human Primates (NHPs). Ebola virus disease outbreaks in humans have been associated with chimpanzees, gorillas, and antelopes – all of which can be found for sale in urban markets.

This report considers whether SYVBAC - which aims to compile all available information on bushmeat harvest and trade in six African countries – is effective in monitoring trade in urban markets and, aligned with the One Health approach, identify whether bushmeat markets play a role in the transmission of zoonotic disease. The bushmeat markets of Cameroon’s largest city, Douala, were used as as case studies.

In response to the recommendations from our 2022 report on the central African bushmeat trade, TRAFFIC and its partners have been developing SYVBAC and testing its ability to detect the overexploitation of species. The information generated through SYVBAC will help develop policies and strategies that aim to bring the bushmeat trade in line with sustainable levels.

The One Health Approach

The One Health approach recognises the intricate relationship between humans, animals and the environment and that a collaborative effort is required to ensure the health of people, livestock and wildlife while maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought greater attention to the matter of human health in relation to the trade and consumption of wild species. Once the methodology has been adapted, SYVBAC has the potential to add invaluable knowledge to the One Health approach by helping understand the dynamics of disease transmission. The findings may prove fundamental in preventing pandemics of the future.

Strengthening SYVBAC

Several recommendations have been provided to reinforce SYVBAC, including:

• Information and knowledge on bushmeat should be shared with governmental organisations such as MINFOF¹ and MINEPIA² to strengthen the knowledge on protected species;
• Collaboration with organisations involved in the One Health approach, including veterinary and laboratory services, would help incorporate the human health aspects integral to understanding disease transmission in bushmeat markets;
• Further pilot studies and more in-depth surveys of bushmeat markets should be conducted to establish a baseline for SYVBAC. This should incorporate a standardised market survey methodology.