Monrovia — The Liberian forests contain a high conservation value in the Upper Guinea Forest landscape, but the rate of bushmeat consumption in the country is big a threat to the wildlife population and also to people's health, considering the risk of zoonotic diseases.
Bushmeat trade, including of threatened and national and internationally protected species, remains a major challenge to the realization of conservation efforts in Liberia in the face of the official ban placed on hunting and sale of bushmeat by the Liberian Government.
The Liberia Forestry Development Authority (FDA) as well as all other law enforcement entities in Liberia are in charge of enforcement, ensuring that anyone caught with bushmeat faces prosecution.
For a while, the ban worked but later plummeted in 2014 during the Ebola crisis and then the government in 2016 enacted a new law entitled" National Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Management Law" aimed at curbing the killing of wildlife and trade of wildmeat or bushmeat.
Despite these challenges, a few people continue to make a difference and brave the storm to bring about change.
Comfort Davis is one person that has been transformed from trading bushmeat to educating her colleagues on the danger of the trade and the need to turn to legal, and more sustainable businesses.
Little did 47-year-old madam Comfort Davis knew that her advocacy as former entrenched bushmeat trader would have been recognized internationally until when she surprisingly was recognized through the Charles Southwick Conservation Education Commitment Award, for her outstanding commitment to educate other bushmeat sellers in the local bushmeat markets. The award, under the auspices of the International Primatological Society, is in honor of Dr. Charles Southwick's longstanding commitment to Conservation Education worldwide.
This award does not only show international recognition for Comfort's effort to save Liberia's biodiversity, but it also includes a US$ 2,000 cash award.
Of the US$2,000, the amount of US$1,500 goes towards Madam Davis' personal upkeep, while the remaining US$500 are directed towards the implementation of a community-based conservation education project in continuation of her efforts to address the issue of bushmeat trade in communities.
Madam Comfort Davis is not just the first Liberian in the history of conservation in Liberia to win the Charles Southwick Conservation Education Commitment Award, but a female who transitioned from bushmeat selling to an Ambassador of Conservation Education and Wildlife Protection in Liberia.
Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), a conservation organization working in Liberia and other West African countries, nominated Madam Davis owing to her outstanding role in using awareness and drama to convey messages that have helped to reduce the bushmeat trade in marketplaces in Monrovia and Paynesville.
How she became ambassador
Prior to abandoning the bushmeat trade, Madam Davis had spent 23-years in selling dried bushmeat before she and another 33 women were encountered by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA), and Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) in 2020, with funding from the European Union.
FDA, LMA and WCF encounters with the bushmeat sellers were part of a massive campaign launched in 2020 to sensitize and educate them to abandon the trade and go into alternative and legal businesses on grounds that the killing of wildlife and trading of wildlife body parts is against the wildlife law of 2016, other international laws, and the IUCN red list of threatened species. It is also against Liberia's efforts to promote ecotourism which should attract nature lovers to enjoy Liberia's unique nature and biodiversity. Last, the high risk of contracting zoonotic diseases from wild animals, in particular their dead bodies, such as Ebola and even so far unknown diseases, needs to be reduced to protect the Liberian population and economy.
The campaign funded by the European Union was able to change and train Comfort Davis and 33-other women entrenched in bushmeat selling in Monrovia and Paynesville, which increased the desire and passion of Comfort to engage into voluntary conservation education working alongside with FDA, LMA and WCF. Comfort and 10 other women even formed their own ex-bushmeat sellers drama team which was trained by Eddie Theater Production and which went on a national education tour in various bushmeat markets in 2022, with support from the British Embassy in Monrovia. Currently, Comfort is helping FDA and WCF to train and educate 300 female bushmeat sellers in bushmeat market hubs all across Liberia, in a project funded by the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund/UKAID.
During the presentation of the conservation award by WCF Country Director, Dr. Annika Hillers, Madam Davis said she is extremely motivated by the honor to do more in protecting wildlife and ecosystems of Liberia.
She said though it was a tough decision in 2020 to abandon the bushmeat trade, she has now considered herself as an ambassador championing the cause of conservation education in Liberia for which she was recognized internationally.
Madam Davis however paid tribute to Dr. Annika Hillers and dedicated the award to her.
"I am very grateful to the Country Director of WCF, Dr. Annika Hillers for nominating me for the award and I can assure that I will always be with her to achieve the goal of eradicating bushmeat trade and protecting Liberia's wildlife" she said.
"As part of my commitment, I am already helping FDA and WCF to train additional 300 women volunteers from markets across the country who are engaged in bushmeat trade to change business and to join us increase awareness to reduce the widespread sale of bushmeat in the country" Madam Davis added.
According to the International Primatological Society, the award is dedicated to recognizing people who are living in Primate Habitat Countries, such as Liberia, and who have made significant contributions to formal and informal conservation education in their respective countries.
Consistent with Madam Davis' work, FDA and WCF now wish to share her story to inspire other women in the bushmeat trade to desist by serving as conservation education ambassadors to help reduce the commercial pressure on Liberia's wildlife and to protect Liberia's unique biodiversity.
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Dr. Hillers' communication for the award reflected Comfort's immeasurable contribution and involvement that has led to a reduction of bushmeat sales by 50% in numerous marketplaces in and around Monrovia and Paynesville.
FDA Supervisor of the EX-Bushmeat sellers embraces award
The news of Comfort receiving an international award for her incredible role in helping to combat bushmeat trade and protecting wildlife in Liberia was greeted with utmost happiness by, Peaches Cummeh, FDA Awareness and Ecotourism Officer and the Supervisor and coach of the transformed bushmeat sellers.
Peaches Cummeh has been working and helping to train the ex-bushmeat sellers in an attempt to help them transform their bushmeat business into a more productive business that will create legal and sustainable livelihood for them and their family, while at the same time ensuring Liberian and international laws are respected and Liberia's unique biodiversity is protected.
Peaches added that the award demonstrates that their efforts had not only been recognized by conservationists working in Liberia, but it has also been appreciated by international institutions outside of Liberia, like the International Primatological Society.
"I am also now working with the ex-bush meat sellers totaling 245 and to reach 300 within the next few months, to train more and more bushmeat sellers to transform them into how to make innovative businesses while advocating for the protection of the country's wildlife.
