Stork hunting has become a commercial industry in some coastal districts in the central province of Ha Tinh in recent years.

Stork traps

Storks trapped

For years, flocks of storks migrate to Ha Tinh’s coastal districts of Nghi Xuan, Thach Ha and Can Loc when it turns to cold.

Bui Giang Hoa, a local resident, said, “Storks fly in large flocks, covering fields when we finish the harvest. It’s a wonderful sight.”

He, however, added that the animal is now the target of hunters who want to earn money from selling the birds to restaurants. According to him, there are around hundreds of stork hunters along Ha Tinh’s coast. Thach Ha District alone has 30-40 spots for trapping storks during the peak season of September and October.

Posing as interested customers DTiNews journalists visited Thach Ha District’s Thach Hai Commune where storks are sold to wholesale markets in Ha Tinh City. The journalists visited several stork traps set up by a group led by Mr. Tien. The site had hundreds of fake storks and thousands of pieces of bamboo. In the middle of the trap are several live birds whose legs or tails were tied. They were used to attract the incoming birds. Not far from the traps stands a hut where the hunters wait.

When storks hear the call from trapped storks, they fly to the ground and are then trapped by the bamboo pieces covered with a thick layer of glue, said a hunter.

Tien told our journalists to hide in the hut. After 20 minutes later, he and his group members lightly pulled the strings, making the trapped storks wave their wings. A flock of some 20 storks suddenly came to the ground and became trapped, with only a few able to escape.

Traps like these can be found in fields through the area.

Hunter Le Van Ha said his 30 storks would sell for VND22,000 (USD1.05) each.

When asked whether anyone had banned locals from stork hunting, Ha said that it was a traditional trade and that coastal people had lived off the sea, stork hunting and sedge for years, and if it was prohibited, they would not be able to live.

Easy to buy

Stork meat has become a popular local food and the local market at Thach Kim is a major stork trading centre.

At the market, women can be found carrying dozens of storks for sale.

Stork seller Mrs Minh said the animal was mostly sold to restaurants.

A trap

Hundreds of bamboo pieces installed to wait for storks

Hiding while waiting for the storks

Stork meat is cheaper than pork.