Community involvement in the mass capture of Red-billed Queleas Quelea quelea adjacent to protected areas: the case of Chemba District, Dodoma, Tanzania

Abstract

The mass capture and utilisation of Red-billed Queleas Quelea quelea as a source of food is practiced in different African countries. The current study sought information on the trapping methods and techniques used by local communities in Chemba District, Tanzania, taking into account the respondents’ age, gender and occupation. It also captured the economic contributions and challenges associated with trapping queleas across the three study villages. Semi-structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and direct observations were used. Male respondents and adult farmers were found to participate most in quelea trapping. Queleas were used both as a source of food and income. Both a modern method (i.e. mist-netting) and traditional local trapping methods (e.g. grass basket traps and sticky tree resin) were reported to be used, but the combination of the modern and local methods was the most effective. Reported challenges included poor trapping techniques, scarcity of markets, and chemical spraying as a quelea control measure. Based on the results, we recommend detailed research on improving mass-trapping techniques and developing a marketing strategy to promote sales of the captured birds. As a long-term measure, these will contribute to improve both the livelihoods of local people and the ecological health of the communities.