Attitudes to illegal behaviour and conservation in western Tanzania

Abstract

Natural resources in and around protected areas in many countries in Africa are under intense pressure as a result of illegal behaviour, such as fishing, hunting and logging. A better understanding of local people's perceptions of the nature of illegal behaviour and the relevance of conservation actions would be useful in informing conservation decisions. We gathered information on the attitudes and perceptions of communities in the vicinity of Ugalla Game Reserve in western Tanzania regarding illegal behaviour and the effectiveness of conservation practices, using household surveys, key informants, and focus groups. We found that local people use the Reserve illegally, especially for hunting (28 ± SE 6%) and logging (20 ± SE 5%). We explored behaviours that are problematic for conservation in the partially protected areas around Ugalla. Local communities reported feeling isolated, harassed and intimidated by approaches used to protect Ugalla. They were angered by the conservation of Ugalla as a trophy hunting site for foreigners, and the excessive force and beatings used by game rangers to keep them away from the Reserve. Improving local livelihoods (17%), participatory conservation (16%), and giving people land for agricultural activities (16%) were among the ways that local communities felt would reduce illegal activities. Our findings suggest the need for conservation measures to benefit local communities around Ugalla transparently and equitably. Outreach programmes would help to raise conservation awareness and attract positive attitudes towards conservation. To encourage local support for conservation, we also suggest that conservation authorities create and maintain good relations with people living near the Reserve.

Challenges facing the introduction of SMART patrols in a game reserve, western Tanzania

“…Obstacles were also recorded, such as patrol vehicle breakdowns and getting stuck. We categorised signs into four common illegal activity types in Ugalla (e.g., Wilfred et al, ), namely logging, poaching, fishing and unauthorised entry (signs that indicated the presence of unauthorised individuals in the reserve, but could not be directly associated with other illegal activities). Waypoints were recorded every 20–30 min as patrols moved along Ugalla roads, and were later downloaded from GPS units to the SMART database.…”

“…Ugalla Game Reserve (hereafter Ugalla), in western Tanzania, experiences high levels of illegal activity (Wilfred, Milner‐Gulland, & Travers, ). Logging and the killing of elephants ( Loxodonta africana , [Anonymous, 1827]) and other species of conservation importance are widespread in the area (Wilfred & MacColl, ).…”

“…Law enforcement has been the predominant deterrent to illegal activities, where anti‐poaching patrols are conducted on a monthly basis in the reserve. Nevertheless, illegal resource use remains a significant problem (Wilfred et al, ). Consequently, the management of Ugalla is gradually incorporating and applying SMART technology to enable efficient and effective measurement and improvement of patrol efforts for the purpose of controlling poaching.…”

The moral residue of conservation

“…Where trophy hunting provides few or no benefits to local communities, the practice fails to alleviate neocolonial conditions of poverty, corruption, and exploitation (e.g., Benjaminsen & Svarstad 2010; Wilfred et al. 2019). Meanwhile, Western opposition to trophy hunting is dismissed as antiscientific and emotional (Macdonald et al.…”

Challenges in the impact evaluation of behaviour change interventions: The case of sea turtle meat and eggs in São Tomé

“…Omali' programme logic model, demonstrating the conceptualised pathway for the expected impact of the campaign activities on sea turtle populations Consumption of sea turtle eggs and meat was measured using the unmatched count technique (UCT). This has been widely used in social science to uncover the prevalence of a diverse range of sensitive and/or illegal behaviours, including logging (Wilfred et al, 2019), bushmeat poaching (Nuno et al, 2013) and dangerous driving (Sheppard & Earleywine, 2013). Survey respondents are randomly allocated into two groups: control and treatment (Hinsley et al, 2019).…”