'Wild shrimp' flies back to the village, people in the highlands of Nghe An stay up all night to catch and sell for millions
(Baonghean.vn) - The first year "wild shrimp" appeared, people in the mountainous commune of Tam Quang, Tuong Duong district (Nghe An) spent all night hanging lamps and nets to hunt them, earning millions of dong each night.
Clip: Hoai Thu |
 |
For nearly a week now, villages in the border commune of Tam Quang, Tuong Duong district have been bustling at night with the "movement" of catching "flying forest shrimp". Photo: Hoai Thu |
 |
"Flying forest shrimp" as the locals call it is a type of grasshopper. For over a week now, this type of insect has been flying to the village at night in large swarms. This type of grasshopper is sought after by the locals as a specialty. Photo: Hoai Thu |
 |
"For a week now, every night without rain, hundreds and thousands of grasshoppers fly back. Traders buy this species for nearly 400,000 VND/kg, so every night our whole family goes out to catch them all night long," said Ms. Vi Thi Nguyet in Bai Xa village, Tam Quang commune. |
 |
People use their hands to catch "flying forest shrimp". Photo: Hoai Thu |
 |
...or catch with a net. Photo: Hoai Thu |
 |
Villagers in Tam Quang commune go out to their gardens and fields every night to use electricity to attract locusts. "Some nights, they catch until 2am, many families catch 11kg of flying shrimp, selling for nearly 4 million VND" - a resident of Bai Xa village said. Photo: Hoai Thu |
 |
Some families even use mini generators to light the "flying forest shrimp" trap lights. Some other households pool their money to buy rechargeable batteries to light the "shrimp" trap lights. "Three households pooled their money to buy a set of batteries and LED bulbs for 2.5 million VND. After just one night of catching "shrimp", they earned 3 million VND, recouping their "capital" and making a profit" - a resident of Bai So village said. Photo: Hoai Thu |
 |
The result after about 30 minutes of actively catching "shrimp". Photo: Hoai Thu |
 |
After catching "shrimp" all night, in the morning people take the time to process them before selling them to traders. "Flying forest shrimp" if sold whole, costs about 350,000 VND/kg. If processed with wings and legs cut off, the purchase price is 370,000 VND to 400,000 VND/kg depending on the type. Photo: Hoai Thu |
 |
Close-up of "flying forest shrimp" bringing millions of dong in income to people in Tam Quang commune. Photo: Hoai Thu |
