The tourist is responsible for illegal hunting near Rurrenabaque.
By Amazon Fund
Experience the adventures of Yossi Ginsberg?
Rurrenabaque is a fast growing tourist town at the foothills of the BolivianAndes where the mountains and the lowlands of the Amazon basin meet. Tour operators act as an interface between the tourists and the natural world. Thus their guidance can either lead to preservation of the ecological values that send people to the Amazon, or they cam be engines of exploitation for the uninformed or uncaring.
Most Rurrenabaque tour operators are ecologically responsible, but some tourists come to Rurrenabque wanting to hunt for pleasure. They want to experience adventures such as those described in Yossi Ginsberg’s famous books "Jungle" or "Back from the Tuichi" documenting his experiences of getting lost in the jungles of Madidi and barely surviving. Tour operators and guides need extra income and are tempted by tourists willing to pay more for such experiences. It’s an old problem.
Approximately thirty tour operators compete in Rurrenabaque. Most of them claim to be the most responsible one in town. The German organization Deutsche Entwickelungs Dienst (DED) has introduced certificates for operators that work according to professional and sustainable standards. Four operators are certified. One of them will soon lose the certification because of poor management and corruption.
35.000 tourists visit Rurrenabaque each year. Most of them want to see the Pampas and/or Madidi. Visiting The Pampas entails a tour on the upper part of the Rio Yacuma by motor canoe. The tour starts with a 4-hour 4wd trip to the village of Santa Rosa, which has a small port. Wildlife is abundant. The Yacuma River meanders through savannas and swamps. For example, visitors may have the chance of observing three types of caiman, four species of monkey, about 250 bird species, and the pink river dolphin. Most tours are for 2- 4 days and nights.
Other visitors choose to see Madidi. This National Park lies in one of the most biodiverse zones of the world and consists of lowland rainforest, highland forest, pampas, savannas and mountainous landscapes. Pilon Lajas, an indigenous territory and Biosphere Reserve, is another attraction and destination.
Shoot a Rhino
Commercial trophy hunting is not uncommon in Africa. It is an accepted income source in some areas. Shoot a rhino, elephant, or leopard for a handsome sum of money. Kill for fun, kill for a photograph, kill for ivory, kill for tusks, kill for skins, and kill for the belief that it keeps you potent. (e.g., see http://www.africatrophyhunting.com/TrophyRoom.asp?sf=8&PageStack=
%2FTrophies.asp%3Fsf%3D8&Id=1180)
The Amazon Fund firmly believes that pleasure, commercial, and trophy hunting should be abandoned not only in Africa, but also in Bolivia and throughout the world.
Negative Effects of Commercial Hunting
The tour operators who hunt are well known in Rurrenabaque. Nonetheless, it is very difficult to effect change. This June (2009) responsible organizations held a meeting about this divisive issue, but with no movement to arrest this destructive activity.
Commercial hunting has documented negative impacts on the animal populations and on the ecotourism economy.
First, it causes localized decreases in wildlife abundance. Everyone who goes on a Pampas or Madidi tour would love to see wildlife. And it is possible, the Pampas are still abundant with wildlife. But it becomes more difficult to see wild cats, deer, tapirs, anaconda, and other species every year. This is especially so in Madidi where animal observation is already challenging due to the rainforest environment.
Secondly, pleasure and trophy hunting work against natural selection and weakens the gene pool. Trophy hunters seek the most outstanding animals in violation the principle of the “survival of the fittest” The reader is directed to the scientific study in Nature vol. 426, 655-658 (11 December 2003) “Undesirable evolutionary consequences of trophy hunting”.
Indigenous people have a tradition of non-commercial hunting. But pleasure and commercial hunting has become out of balance with the ecosystems. The decline of the animal populations is clear. One has to go deep into the jungle to meet a cat or tapir. Only with a lot of luck can one see these animals in the edges of the park. The lack of visible wildlife detracts from the desired experiences of most tourists. Thus, trophy and commercial hunting eat away not only at the wild landscape, these activities degrade the ecotourism economy.
Tourists should take responsibility
Tour operators offer hunting trips specially those that work with tourist who demand extra adventure. Guides of these companies are not being paid well so they have to play being heroes catching anacondas or hunting to get better tips or selling drugs to increase their income.
Hunting tours in the region of Rurrenabaque are not the same as those in Africa or Canada where rich hunters pay thousands of dollars to the government, parks or to the communities for hunting a rhino or a polar bear for trophies. In Rurrenabaque beautiful species like the Ocelot are shot for a few dollars.
Hunting for pleasure, trapping animals, poaching for skins: all these activities degrade the forest and the touristic basis of the economy. Tourists should assume responsibility and not offer tour guides money for these retrograde practices. For the guides and operators it’s very hard to resist this opportunity to increase their income. They often need to support their family and keep the company going. But the tour operator and guides have responsibility too. When they don’t take precautions and set standards, the problem will continue.
The need for a higher level of tourism
Rurrenabaque attracts mainly backpackers. The average tourist is on low budget and is sometimes not willing to pay the required price for a tour. Some years ago the tour operators of Rurrenabaque agreed on a minimum tour price of $ 25 per day/night. Now they sometimes lower fees to $ 12.50 and offer big groups hunting trips. Nonetheless, a few operators of Rurrenabaque have reached a higher standard and do not participate in hunting sessions.
Come to Bolivia
Amazon Fund asks you to visit this beautiful country and its variety of nature and culture. Support the Bolivian people with responsible tourism and help establish their sustainable income. Let them show you around in their wonderful country and give them, their nature and culture a chance.
Ecotourism is a key to the preservation of nature in Bolivia. If the tourists stay away the chances increase that Madidi, Pilon Lajas, and other nature reserves will be exploited and destroyed. The valuable wood will be taken out of the rainforest. The land will used for agriculture or cattle farming or for other kinds of exploitation. Both people and animals will lose their habitat.
Brazil is undergoing deforestation at a high rate. The rainforest of Peru has become a victim of oil exploitation. Bolivia and its tropical forests still have opportunities, although there are many threats such as oil exploitation there. Bolivia may be the most authentic Latin American country and has a lot to offer.
The tour operators of Rurrenabaque wait for you to offer them a chance to establish a sustainable source of income. They wish to establish responsible tourism industry. In the process, animal populations will benefit so that every tourist can enjoy the beauty of the Amazon wildlife.
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