Animals Traded for Traditional Medicine Purposes in the Kumasi Central Market, Ghana: Conservation Implications

Boakye, Maxwell Kwame; Agyemang, Alfred Ofori; Wiafe, Edward Debrah; Dossou-Yovo, Hubert Olivier; Ziekah, Meyir

doi:10.3390/conservation1020010

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Animals Traded for Traditional Medicine Purposes in the Kumasi Central Market, Ghana: Conservation Implications

Maxwell Kwame Boakye

^1,*

Alfred Ofori Agyemang

²,

Edward Debrah Wiafe

³,

Hubert Olivier Dossou-Yovo

⁴ and

Meyir Ziekah

⁵

Department of Environmental Science, Ho Technical University, Ho VH, Ghana

Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho VH, Ghana

School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya EY, Ghana

⁴

Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi 526, Godomey, Benin

⁵

Forestry Commission (Wildlife Division), Kumasi AK, Ghana

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editor: José L. Tella

Conservation 2021, 1(2), 113-120; https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation1020010

Received: 12 May 2021 / Revised: 6 June 2021 / Accepted: 7 June 2021 / Published: 13 June 2021

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Abstract

The Kumasi Central Market is the largest urban open market in Ghana and animals used for medicinal purposes are among the items that are typically displayed for sale. However, no study has been undertaken on the animal species sold for traditional medicine purposes. This study took inventory of animal species traded for medicinal purposes in the Kumasi Central Market and examined their conservation implications. The species recorded to be traded comprised 5 taxonomic classes, belonging to 20 families. Chameleons were found to be the most traded animal species. Seven (23%) of the species traded were found to be threatened under IUCN Red List, with four (13%) species listed on Appendix I of CITES, and eight (26%) species on Schedule I of Wildlife Conservation Regulations of Ghana. Wildlife regulations are not serving as a deterrent to the trade in threatened animal species. There is a need to sensitize traders about the threats faced by these animal species and provide explanations as to why these species should be protected. View Full-Text

Keywords: animal trade; traditional medicine; conservation; Ghana; West Africa

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MDPI and ACS Style

Boakye, M.K.; Agyemang, A.O.; Wiafe, E.D.; Dossou-Yovo, H.O.; Ziekah, M. Animals Traded for Traditional Medicine Purposes in the Kumasi Central Market, Ghana: Conservation Implications. Conservation 2021, 1, 113-120. https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation1020010

AMA Style

Boakye MK, Agyemang AO, Wiafe ED, Dossou-Yovo HO, Ziekah M. Animals Traded for Traditional Medicine Purposes in the Kumasi Central Market, Ghana: Conservation Implications. Conservation. 2021; 1(2):113-120. https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation1020010

Chicago/Turabian Style

Boakye, Maxwell Kwame, Alfred Ofori Agyemang, Edward Debrah Wiafe, Hubert Olivier Dossou-Yovo, and Meyir Ziekah. 2021. "Animals Traded for Traditional Medicine Purposes in the Kumasi Central Market, Ghana: Conservation Implications" Conservation 1, no. 2: 113-120. https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation1020010

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Animals Traded for Traditional Medicine Purposes in the Kumasi Central Market, Ghana: Conservation Implications

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