Description

Earthworm hunting activities have been recently reported in some northern provinces, such as Hòa Bình, Thái Bình, Tuyên Quang, and Phú Thọ.
Locals in some communities put electrical probes into the ground to shock earthworms. They will subsequently collect the earthworms crawling on the ground. Later, the earthworms, after removal of intestines, are dried by food dryers generating untreated noxious odors. The removed intestines are often discharged directly in streams and rivers. The dried earthworms are sold to Chinese buyers.
This method of hunting earthworms destroys the soil ecological system. The processing and drying of earthworms pollute the environment. However, it is currently not easy to prevent or fine the violation cases because of the lack of concrete legal guidance.

Sources and futher information: “Báo động tình trạng tận diệt giun đất, gây mất cân bằng sinh thái” at http://www.tinmoitruong.vn, “Tận diệt giun đất – Một cách phá hoại môi trường” at https://baotuyenquang.com.vn, “Earthworm hunting impacts soil quality and ecosystem” at https://vietnamnews.vn, accessed on 30 July 2021.