Hard battle against Chinese migratory bird hunting
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E-mail Xinhua, October 16, 2012
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The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds. [File photo] |
In Hunan's counties of Guidong, Xinhua and Xinshao, a village can net more than 150 tonnes of wild birds a year, with such hunting observed as a tradition by villagers believing in the birds' special health benefits.
"The hunters track and kill birds all the way as they depart from Mongolia and fly south," said Yang Jinhai, who leads the forestry bureau of Xinhua County. "They install high-frequency lights on hilltops and use the light to lure birds into snares at night."
The carcasses are then sold locally or to other Chinese cities, including those in the southern province of Guangdong, where restaurant goers pay generously for meat they see as rare delicacies.
"Eating wild birds is dangerous, as it might bring unknown viruses into human society," said Deng Xuejian, a Hunan-based ornithologist.
Other threats to the flocks include wealthy residents from nearby cities who shoot the birds for fun.
"They come in luxury limousines with beauties and beers, taking it as an aristocratic pastime, which has become a troublesome fashion," Yang said.
Local authorities have stepped up protection efforts, including setting more check points and increasing patrols in the region, though enforcement remains difficult as the poaching usually occurs in remote mountains at night.
Non-governmental groups are also pooling in, with the volunteers set to launch campaigns to lobby urban dwellers to refrain from eating wild birds.
"Only when the trade no longer exists can we truly put an end to the killing," Yang said.
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