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Indigenous Peoples, Primates, and Conservation Evidence: A Case Study Focussing on the Waorani of the Maxus Road

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Ethnoprimatology

Part of the book series: Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects ((DIPR))

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Abstract

Historically, indigenous peoples have been excluded from conservation decision making and even their own territories. Indigenous peoples are potentially important allies for primate conservation, but are sometimes seen as sources of problems rather than solutions. I argue here that evidence-based conservation which recognizes local community rights is particularly important when conservation actions could have a negative impact on local or indigenous communities. To explore this, I assess the sustainability of Waorani hunting along the Maxus Road in Amazonian Ecuador, focussing on three ateline primates, collared peccary, and red brocket deer. Although previous commentary on hunting in the area has suggested various interventions to reduce hunting pressure along the Maxus Road, the results of sustainability models which incorporate changes in hunter behavior over time do not suggest that hunting of these five species is unsustainable. Implementing conservation interventions in a potentially sustainable system could have negative repercussions for the livelihoods of the Waorani living in the area. In contrast, working with these communities and other indigenous peoples living in primate habitats worldwide could produce positive outcomes for both primate conservation and local peoples.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, London, UK

    Sarah Papworth

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Correspondence to Sarah Papworth .

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  1. Anthropology, University of Oregon, Bend, Oregon, USA

    Michel T. Waller

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Papworth, S. (2016). Indigenous Peoples, Primates, and Conservation Evidence: A Case Study Focussing on the Waorani of the Maxus Road. In: Waller, M. (eds) Ethnoprimatology. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30469-4_6

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