Assessing the role and involvement of local communities in sport hunting around Lake Mburo National Park.

Abstract

Sport hunting around Lake Mburo National Park generates significant revenue for conservation efforts but the role and involvement of the local communities remains unclear. The study assessed the role and involvement of local communities in sport hunting, exploring the economic benefits, strategies to enhance local community engagement, challenges and opportunities for sustainable conservation. The specific objectives were: (i)To examine the status of sport hunting in and around the park. (ii)To assess the challenges faced by local communities in regarding participation sport hunting. (iii)To identify the strategies to enhance the local community engagement in sport hunting. (iv)To assess the economic benefits of sport hunting to the local communities. The research was conducted in Nyakigandu and Rwabarata villages. Random sampling was utilised to obtain perspectives from 110 respondents using structured questionnaires. The findings show that 52% of the respondents understood sport hunting, this was due to some having a thinking accelerating it to poaching. 47% of the respondents were having community involvement in sport hunting for two and more years in participation and there is need to extend conservation education on sport hunting to the local communities and strengthen law enforcement by recruiting village wildlife scouts to work with sport hunting companies to curb poaching. The key recommendations are increasing the revenue sharing to 50% for the local communities, capacity building programs to alleviate poverty, policy and practice of community-based conservation initiatives to enhance community engagement and participation. Conclusions emphasised the potential of local communities play a vital role in sport hunting around Lake Mburo national park, but their involvement and benefits can be improved. Addressing challenges and implementing recommendations can promote equitable revenue sharing, community development therefore foster local community involvement in sport hunting.