Given the important contribution of urban consumption in bushmeat trade, information on bushmeat sales in urban markets can provide valuable insights for understanding the dynamics of this trade and its implications for conservation and food security. We monitored bushmeat traded in the market of Kisangani (the provincial capital of the Province Orientale in the Democratic Republic of Congo) and compared data collected in surveys in 2002 and 2008-2009. In both periods more than two-thirds of the carcasses sold were of rodents and ungulates. From 2002 to 2008-2009 the number of carcasses increased by 44% but the equivalent biomass by only 16% because of a significant decrease in medium-sized species (10-50 kg) and an increase in small species (, 10 kg). The number of carcasses of large species increased between the two periods and those of diurnal monkeys increased fourfold. In both periods smoked bushmeat was one of the cheapest sources of protein available year-round, together with caterpillars, which were only available during the rainy season, and pork. Prices of other domestic meat were significantly higher. This study identified an increase in the market of highly threatened species such as okapi Okapia johnstoni and small diurnal monkeys and the continued presence of protected species, and also highlights the food security role that bushmeat plays for poor urban people who cannot afford alternative sources of protein.

ABSTRACT. Food insecurity and malnutrition can be major, yet often overlooked, consequences of armed conflicts because of the disruption of rural-urban trade networks and human migration toward safe urban centers. Bushmeat has been shown to act as an important safety net for conflict-affected urban populations, contributing the provisioning of basic needs and postconflict peace building efforts. However, the widely documented unsustainability of bushmeat hunting questions whether reliance of an urban population on bushmeat can be sustained for prolonged periods. To assess the potential contribution of bushmeat to sustainable food systems and peace building processes in a postconflict setting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we use bushmeat trade data from the Kisangani market collected during three annual surveys in 2002, 2008/2009, and 2015/2016. Overall, we found a decreasing supply of bushmeat that, combined with an increasing human population size, limited the contribution of bushmeat to food security. Although bushmeat was the cheapest source of animal protein available in 2002, substitutes became more affordable over time, thereby reducing the need for bushmeat, especially among the urban poor. Finally, assessing the sustainability of bushmeat supply showed an ambiguous pattern depending on the indicator used, which may have been influenced by changes in the geographical trade routes, possibly mediating negative effects of local resource depletion on urban bushmeat supplies. This study provides insights into the contribution and the sustainability of bushmeat to urban postconflict food security. At the same time we also highlight the need for improved understanding of temporal supply/trade trajectories and especially the interaction between the sustainability of bushmeat harvest and the availability of affordable substitutes for ensuring sustainable food systems in support of peace building processes.

Dans un contexte où la demande des écailles des pangolins pour la médicine traditionnelle chinoise ne cesse d’augmenter, ces animaux se trouvent de plus à plus braconner. Il est donc important que les études soient menées dans leur zone de répartition pour arriver à dégager les motivations de cette exploitation dans chaque zone. C’est dans cet angle que l’étude sur l’exploitation des pangolins et de leurs produits dérivés a été réalisée autour du parc national de Kahuzi-Biega avec pour objectif de dégager les différentes fins pour lesquelles ces animaux y sont exploités et identifier les différents acteurs intervenant dans ce domaine via l’information et les connaissances des riverains. La méthode d’enquête individuelle et collective a été conduite auprès de 116 personnes pendant une période de deux mois (mars et avril 2019) autour du Secteur Tshivanga et du Secteur Itebero. Les analyses comparatives, Khi-deux, Ficher et les analyses à correspondances multiples (ACM) ont été effectuées à l’aide du logiciel Past 3.2. Les résultats obtenus montrent que les pangolins sont principalement exploités pour l’alimentation et la médecine traditionnelles. Cependant, le trafic de leurs écailles a fait augmenter la demande dans la zone. Les demandeurs des écailles viennent principalement des grandes villes (Bukavu, Goma, Kisangani) et des certaines pays étrangers (Ouganda, Burundi, Tanzanie et les agents de la Mission des Nations-Unies pour la Stabilisation au Congo). Le commerce des écailles pour satisfaire la demande externe, bien qu’encore à ces débuts, vient menacer les pangolins dans cette zone où la chasse est strictement interdite. Ce commerce passe par des intermédiaires, dont les principaux sont les enfants du milieu.Mots clés : Étude préliminaire, exploitation, pangolins, Kahuzi-biega, RDC English Title: Preliminary data on the exploitation of Pangolins (Pholidota) about the National Park of Kahuzi-Biega, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)In a context where the demand for pangolin scales for traditional Chinese medicine continues to increase, these animals are increasingly being poached. It is therefore important that studies be carried out in their area of distribution in order to identify the motivations for this exploitation in each area. It is in this perspective that the study on the exploitation of pangolins and their by-products was carried out around the Kahuzi-Biega National Park with the aim of identifying the different purposes for which these animals are exploited there and to identify the different actors involved in this field through the information and knowledge of local residents. The individual and collective survey method was conducted among 116 people over a two-month period (March and April 2019) around the Tshivanga Sector and the Itebero Sector. Comparative, Chi-square, File and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) analyses were carried out using Past 3.2 software. The results obtained show that pangolins are mainly exploited for traditional food and medicine. However, the trafficking of their scales has increased demand in the area. The demand for the scales comes mainly from the big cities (Bukavu, Goma, Kisangani) and from some foreign countries (Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and agents of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Congo). The trade in scales to satisfy external demand, although still in its infancy, is threatening pangolins in this area where hunting is strictly prohibited. This trade goes through intermediaries, the main ones being local children.Keywords: Preliminary study, exploitation, pangolins, Kahuzi-biega, DRC.