A. Species
Scientific name: Sus barbatus
Common name(s): Bearded pig
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Vulnerable
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Sabah
Country/Region: Malaysia-Borneo / Sabah
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: Individual Site
Name/Details of location: Sandakan District, located along the eastern coast of Sabah.
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2019
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat and Wild species sourced from significantly modified habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Hunting and/or Trapping of live terrestrial and aerial animals
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Food and feed
Motivation of use: Basic subsistence, Income generation from trade (individual/household/community) and Traditional/Cultural/Spiritual
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat and Wild species sourced from significantly modified habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Opinion: "Hunters broadly reported a decline in hunting frequency, both in their own hunting patterns as well as among their community. Respondents tied this trend to several factors, including declining pig populations..." "In particular, replacement of forest by oil palm plantations was considered by several hunters to cause pig population declines..."
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Replacement of forest by oil palm plantations was considered by several hunters to cause pig population declines and less time spent by humans accessing forest resources; both of these perceived patterns were cited as drivers of declining hunting frequency. Many respondents noted that fewer people were learning to hunt than in the past.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Hunters broadly reported a decline in hunting frequency, both in their own hunting patterns as well as among their community. Respondents tied this trend to several factors, including declining pig populations, deforestation, increased plantation area, age, and less free time due to work commitments. For example, some oil palm workers responded that they lacked the energy to hunt due to their work, and that some hunting trips were now more difficult due to the long distances required for travel through plantations.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Consumers don't get sick.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Not recorded
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
The study recommends several principles for designing conservation plans that conserve biology and support human cultural values, including: (a) the value of an inclusive approach to identify culturally important species and practices; (b) importance of including flagship species [in this case, the bearded pig as a cultural keystone species]; and (c) adaptive management that achieves biocultural conservation aims in the midst of shifting land use. Given the pace of change of the drivers that have already shaped regional pig hunting, the study also points to the dynamic interrelation of culture, natural resource use, and conservation. For the biocultural conservation of the region - bearded pig socio-ecological system, the authors' recommend that local and state government officials and conservation managers consider flexible and location-specific management approaches. These approaches should include local indigenous peoples to ensure fair access to the provision of meat, cultural benefits, and pest control from sustainable bearded pig hunting, while also ensuring conservation of bearded pig populations, habitat, and long-distance movements.
Record source
Information about the record source: grey_lit
Date of publication/issue/production: 2022-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Kurz, D.J., Saikim, F.H., Justine, V.T., Bloem, J., Libassi, M., Luskin, M.S., Withey, L.S., Goossens, B., Brashares, J.S. and Potts, M.D., 2020. Oil palm expansion reshapes indigenous hunting: Kadazandusun-Murut bearded pig hunting practices in Sabah, Malaysia.
EcoEvoRxiv. https://doi.org/10.32942/osf.io/5ckg3
Date of record entry: 2022-11-17