Why Brazil nut harvesters do not comply with hunting regulations: The case of the Manuripi National Wildlife Reserve

This paper analyzes the determinant factors affecting compliance behavior in hunting regulation. The study is focused on the Brazil nut Regulation for the Manuripi National Wildlife Reserve in Bolivia’s Amazon Forest, in which was established the hunting prohibition for temporary harvesters working on private property. In addition to deterrence variables, this paper considers the factors of moral obligation, social influence, knowledge of rules and legitimacy. Adding to the existing literature, we also explore the effect of cultural factors on compliance behavior. The results indicate that the social influence, moral obligation and legitimacy of the hunting prohibition regulation are relevant for violation decisions, while the perception of the probability of detection is not a strong determinant. Additionally, the results suggest that both the harvesters’ productivity and non-wild meat supply on the reserve’s private property determine hunting decisions. Most interestingly, we found that a cultural factor related to the harvesters’ habits of eating bush-meat significantly affects their compliance behavior. We discuss some policy implications to improve compliance with the hunting prohibition in the Manuripi Reserve.