RESCCUE harnessed opportunities to trial some economic incentives to control invasive species in the Northern Province of New Caledonia to regulate the populations of Feral pigs and Rusa deers. These species have spread widely and are causing significant damage to forests, farmland and water resources, with major ecological as well as socio-economic impacts.
In particular, RESCCUE:
- Built the capacities and strengthened the operational capabilities of a local tribal hunting association, Tipwoto, to increase hunting activities, particularly in a drinking water catchment area, while locally selling the bush meat on the informal market as a source of funding for the association;
- Tested a lottery and individual hunting competition designed to strengthen hunting activities, and evaluated its impacts and efficiency;
- Endeavoured to remove legal, political and economic barriers to sell wild venison from hunts on the local market, as a potential hunting incentive mechanism.