Wild Meat Consumption in the Northeastern Peruvian Amazon: Implications for Conservation and Sustainability

Abstract

Hunting is one of the most critical drivers of animal population decline. Despite its significance, wild meat consumption in Amazonian cities is poorly understood. In Iquitos, the largest urban center of the Peruvian Amazon, there is access to many different animal proteins, but people are still consuming a great deal of wild meat. To create more effective conservation strategies for highly consumed species, accurate estimates of wild meat consumption are needed. By systematically sampling the entire city and interviewing heads of households, this dissertation answers the question: How much wild meat are people eating, and what is driving their consumption?