Driven by short-term profit, many people are using electric shock devices to exterminate earthworms.

Báo Ninh Bình•03/08/2023

Exterminate earthworms.

Posing as people interested in learning about dried earthworms, the group of reporters met with the owner of a worm slaughterhouse, who identified himself as Lich, in Hamlet 12, Dong Son Commune, Tam Diep City. Called a slaughterhouse, it was actually just a makeshift shack tucked away in a corner of a garden. Upon entering, a foul, unpleasant odor permeated the area. Even more distressing was the sight of two men swiftly slaughtering dozens of kilograms of earthworms.

From what I observed, the worms here were very large, roughly the size of an adult's finger, about 40-50 cm long. A young man scooped the worms into a gutting machine. Wastewater was discharged directly into the garden, attracting flies and creating a foul stench. Thousands of worms were processed in a flash under the cutting blades. Another person was responsible for washing the worms before drying them.

In the dilapidated, dusty kitchen, two other people were arranging the pre-processed worms onto a steel rack. This was the first step before drying the worms.

Driven by short-term profit, many people are using electric shock devices to exterminate earthworms. — Fresh worms are processed and then dried.

The owner of the slaughterhouse said that every day, his facility receives about 400 kg of fresh earthworms from households in the commune and neighboring communes. The earthworms are caught using electric shock in the hilly and agricultural areas of the province, so the worms are not scratched and the quantity is stable.

Currently, this family also provides electric worm harvesting machines to 40 people in the province on a "rental" basis. On average, each machine can harvest 10 kg of fresh worms or even more per day.

Another man named Vinh, from Cuc Phuong commune, Nho Quan district, introduced: Every day he can collect about 1-2 quintals of fresh earthworms to sell to slaughterhouses. The worms he collects are large, weighing 20-25 worms per kilogram (about the size of an adult's finger) and are mainly caught in the hills and mountains of Nho Quan and Hoa Binh.

He said that all you need is to invest in a Chinese-made electric stunner costing 5-6 million VND to start your "business." To use it, simply connect the two wires to two screwdrivers. Then, insert the screwdrivers into the ground. The device will emit a very loud, buzzing sound. Earthworms of all sizes will then begin to surface.

Those that don't meet the size requirements are sold to fishing ponds or animal feed mills. Many are even left to die from electric shocks, sunstroke, and dehydration on the ground.

Unforeseen consequences

Currently, fresh earthworms are purchased at 40-60 thousand VND/kg; dried earthworms sell for 700,000-900,000 VND/kg. With such high profits, many people have disregarded legal regulations and secretly exploited the earthworms, leaving them with no way to survive.

Notably, when questioned, none of the "suppliers" knew the main purpose of collecting earthworms. Everyone vaguely mentioned selling them to China for use in medicine, cosmetics, etc. Seeing the high profits and the readily available raw materials in the ground, many forgot about the potential dangers.

Although there are no official statistics, it can be confirmed that the number of earthworms caught and cruelly killed each day reaches tens of tons. According to Lich, the owner of a slaughterhouse in Dong Son commune, Tam Diep city, three people in this locality alone have invested in drying machines and slaughterhouses.

According to a representative from the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection: Earthworms play an extremely important role in agricultural production. They are likened to a biological plow for farmers, loosening the soil and acting as a crucial link in the transformation of nutrients, creating conditions for the production of organic matter beneficial to plants, helping them grow well.

Using electric shock to catch earthworms causes widespread and destructive damage to the worms and other soil organisms. Therefore, it degrades the soil environment and negatively impacts agricultural production.

The practice of using electric shocks to catch earthworms is occurring in some localities in the province, causing public outrage and leaving behind unpredictable consequences. In reality, the lessons learned from the recent incidents of unsuspecting traders collecting golden apple snails, leeches, custard apple leaves, unripe oranges, unripe betel nuts, dragon fruit flowers, etc., are still fresh in our minds. No one knows what they buy these things for; all we know is that after they leave, the farmers are left to suffer the consequences.

The act of catching earthworms using electric shock devices violates the prohibition stipulated in Clause 2, Article 7 of the 2014 Environmental Protection Law. However, currently, due to the lack of penalties for using electric shock devices to catch earthworms, the only action taken is issuing a written warning or reminder, which is insufficient to deter such behavior.

Meanwhile, those who use electric shock to catch earthworms often operate at midnight, in rainy weather, and in mountainous areas with difficult access. Therefore, to protect earthworms, localities need to strengthen inspection and supervision in the field of environmental protection; proactively grasp the situation, detect and promptly handle those who use electric shock to catch earthworms, causing ecological imbalance and affecting the environment.

In addition, all sectors, levels, and localities need to actively promote awareness among the people, preventing them from sacrificing the environment and our country's agriculture for short-term profit. This is especially important as the rainy season is approaching – a time when, according to those who harvest earthworms, it is easiest to catch the most.

Text and photos: Hoang Bach - Minh Hai

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