Abstract for presentation at Biodiversity Extinction Crisis Conference - A Pacific Response

Globally, habitat destruction and hunting are the recent major causes of species extinction. In Papua New Guinea, hunting is probably the most important threat to wild animal species. Sustainable resource use is a key to conserving biodiversity. As a step towards management of wild animal populations, I conducted a study to assess the sustainability of hunting by the Min in the Sokamin area of Star Mountains, the first such study in Papua New Guinea. The area inhabited by the Min is very isolated and typically the only source of protein is from wild animals which are extensively hunted. I used a set of three questionnaires containing both open ended and closed ended questions to obtain information on the hunter, the species hunted and the location of captures. I obtained data on the species diversity and the quantity of the animals hunted. Using the data collected from the field and from published life history data, I used Robinson and Redford’s model to determine the sustainability of harvest of the two most commonly hunted species. The survey showed that the taxon most hunted was mammals. Common echymipera (Echymipera kalubu) and ground cuscus (Phalanger gymnotis) made up over 50 percent of mammal captures. Hunting was opportunistic with these species being the most commonly hunted because they were abundant. The common echymipera was harvested sustainably while the ground cuscus was not. The results suggest that K-selected mammals are more prone to over-harvesting and extinction than r-selected mammals. Hunters need to practice selective hunting with regards to the animals’ life history traits and thus their vulnerability to hunting. Education and awareness programs are being implemented to ensure sustainable harvesting of game species, and a conservation area, the Mekil Conservation Initiative, established to conserve wild animals in Sokamin.