Protected storks bring mounting losses to a Jiangsu crab farmer
Protected storks bring mounting losses to a Jiangsu crab farmer
Crab farmer Hu Dingsong says about 80 endangered Oriental storks are feeding at his ponds near Gaoyou Lake in Jiangsu, causing losses that his agricultural insurance does not cover.
A crab farmer near Gaoyou Lake in eastern China’s Jiangsu province is seeking assistance after a growing flock of endangered Oriental storks began feeding at his ponds, bringing online attention alongside substantial financial losses.
Hu Dingsong first saw two or three storks in April. Learning that they were a nationally first-class protected species initially pleased him, and he joked online that there were enough crabs to share.
The flock subsequently expanded to more than 20 birds by mid-May, more than 40 by early June and about 80 at present. Hu estimates that they collectively consume roughly 2,400 crabs each day, costing him between 30,000 and 40,000 yuan, or about $4,200–$5,600, daily. His agricultural insurance excludes wildlife damage.
Options for preventing further losses are limited. Forestry officials have prohibited the use of firecrackers to disperse the protected birds. Covering ponds of this size with netting is impractical, while providing alternative food such as fish could introduce disease risks.
Years of ecological restoration have helped the storks expand their range around the lake. Lu Changhu, a wildlife ecology professor at Nanjing Forestry University, said summer stays in Jiangsu are not new. Although the birds were once mainly winter visitors, increasing numbers have remained around Gaoyou Lake and nearby wetlands as their population has grown. Plentiful food may lead some to forgo migration, he said.
Local officials have supplied Hu with a drone to monitor the flock and are helping address the losses. Farmers, however, currently have no official channel through which to seek compensation for wildlife damage.
Hu is calling on authorities to work with farmers on measures that protect the storks while also safeguarding agricultural livelihoods.
李-X.Lee Li--THT-士蔑報
