Wild meat: the bigger picture

Massive overhunting of wildlife for meat across the humid tropics is now causing local extinctions of
numerous species. Rural people often rely heavily on wild meat, but, in many areas, this important source of
food and income is either already lost or is being rapidly depleted. The problem can only be tackled by looking at
the wider economic and institutional context within which such hunting occurs, from household economics
to global terms of trade. Conservation efforts must be placed within a landscape context; a mosaic of hunted
and no-take areas might balance conservation with continued subsistence use. Successful conservation of
hunted wildlife requires collaboration at all scales, involving local people, resource extraction companies,
governments and scientists.