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Though responsible tourism can provide revenue and employment to the local people, education can help raise the global community’s level of awareness on the bush meat phenomenon and other contributing factors to the imminent decimation of african great-apes. The Northern Hemisphere
The Northern hemisphere, which constitutes 90% of the world's human population, consumes much of Africa’s natural resources without realizing the impact this intense level of consumption has on tropical ecosystems and local communities. For example, Gabon exports 80% of its oil. Moreover, the concept of sustainable natural resource management is paradoxical in light of intense consumerism taking place north of the equator. It is quite clear that the resolution of the bush meat trade or other environmental issues is everyone’s responsibility and lies partly in responsible, informed, and sustainable consumerism.
The Southern Hemisphere
Many people may wonder why local people hunt gorillas or other endangered species. And although the local people could survive just as well without hunting gorillas, other socioeconomic and political factors come into play. People hunt for many reasons, but in the Fernan-Vaz area, hunting is usually done for additionnal revenue or for traditional practices. Most hunters will tell you that they would prefer alternative, less arduous means of obtaining revenue. Locally, it is said that people do not typically consume gorilla meat but that the money obtained from selling the meat pays for food, rent, school supplies and medicine. Locals may also resort to killing a gorilla, or other wildlife, in order to protect their crops from being ravaged.
Gorillas play an important ecological role Gorillas are considered "regenerators of the forest". Many seeds from the fruit they ingest pass through their gastrointestinal tract untouched. As the gorillas forage or venture throughout the forest, they defecate and thus spread seeds from one area to the other. So, besides the direct impact that logging practices have on forest habitat by cutting down trees, poaching is also indirectly contributing to the gradual destruction of our tropical forests by eliminating forest regenerators (gorillas). All humans benefit from tropical forests in many ways, namely from the oxygen we breath, medicine, wood for construction and fire, etc.
Education at the FVGP Besides spending valuable time with national and international visitors at our site in Gabon, we also conduct local education campaigns geared toward children between ages 8-12 from local schools of the Fernan-Vaz area. In October 2008, we reached out to 275 children, whereas in February 2009 we reached out to 475 children. During these campaigns, we play interactive games with the local children and discuss various environmental topics. In December 2009, one of FVGP's team leaders and two children from the local area travelled to France to partake in a gorilla symposium at the National History Museum in Paris. These children, along with three other local Gabonese children, were intronised as "Young Ambassadors for Great-Apes" (YAGA's). Their role, with our support, will be to intronise more local children as ambassadors for great-ape conservation. |
 Logs awaiting exportation to Europe, Asia and the US
- image by Don Pinnock, Getaway Magazine
 By eating fruit, seeds are spread in the forest
 Education campaign for children living close to the project
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