Socioeconomic and biophysical determinants of wire-snare poaching incidence and behaviour in the Boland Region of South Africa

Abstract Bushmeat harvesting, fuelled by wire-snare poaching, is recognized as a severe threat to biodiversity throughout East and Central Africa, and has been directly linked to severe reductions or extirpations of target species, high rates of non-target off-take of threatened species, and the loss of functional ecosystem processes. Studies dedicated to assessing the extent and underlying dynamics of wire-snare poaching in South Africa are lacking, and no formal research has been conducted in the Boland Region, despite growing evidence of wire-snare incidence. Through structured interviews with farm owners, managers and labourers on private agricultural properties bordering protected areas (PAs), this study quantified the influence of several socioeconomic and biophysical determinants on the incidence of wire-snare poaching across the study area. Wire-snare poaching incidence and behaviour was strongly influenced by economic factors relating to poverty, a perceived lack of governing regulations and punitive measures, interpersonal development, and abiotic factors such as proximity to major residential areas, roadways and PAs. Respondents reported that small antelope and porcupine were most affected by wire-snare poaching. Several activity hotspots across the region were identified. This study provided the first demonstration of the multifaceted and complex nature of wire-snare poaching in the Boland Region. In doing so, a dialogue was opened between rural communities and conservation agencies to broaden our understanding of the heterogeneity in local-scale socioecological dynamics, to apply policies for effective management and eradication, and to provide grounds for future research in the area and elsewhere.