Poverty, technology, and wildlife hunting in Palawan

Abstract

Tropical forest destruction jeopardizes wildlife habitat. In many countries, hunting by low-income households also poses a direct threat to many species. This paper reports a study of the wildlife hunting practices of an indigenous cultural community in the Philippine province of Palawan. A survey of hunting practices was conducted among farmers living along the forest margin. The survey collected information on hunting frequency, hunting techniques, and species hunted. These data were combined with household income and demographic data to learn how socioeconomic factors influence hunting patterns and practices. Descriptive statistical procedures and regression analysis show that hunting pressure during the study period was typically greatest among resource-poor households. Poor households used the widest range of hunting implements, including modern implements such as air rifles, and low living standards were associated with greater hunting effort. Households with small farms were more likely to hunt, and were also more likely to expend greater hunting effort. Hunting was a supplementary source of food acquisition for most farmers and was found to be inferior to agricultural production, in the sense that households with large farms tended to hunt less often than households with small farms. Indirect evidence suggests that higher population pressure correlates positively with hunting pressure, and that non-agricultural employment negatively correlates with hunting probability and intensity.