In the winter of Chongming East Beach, flocks of wintering migratory birds either spread their wings and fly in the air, or leisurely forage on the water surface and wheat fields, a scene full of vitality. However, danger lurks.
In December last year, a white spoonbill, a national second-class protected animal, was caught in a fishing line when it flew to a wheat field and could not escape, but fortunately was rescued by a birdwatcher. But not all birds are so lucky. On January 27 this year, Zhao Tiantian, a researcher who was conducting field investigations, sadly and regrettably photographed the death of a spot-billed duck in the fishing line. Behind the tragedy is the long-standing dispute between people and birds in Chongming Dongtan.
Dense fishing lines are drawn in the fields, which are not only the "protective line" for farmers, but also the "deadly line" for birds. Photo by Li Zhong.
The anti-bird line becomes a lethal line.
A few days ago, there was a light rain. Under the guidance of Zhao Tiantian, the reporter drove to the vicinity of the Changjiang Road Visitor Center of the Chongming Dongtan Bird National Nature Reserve in Shanghai. It is understood that Chongming Dongtan, where the Chongming Nature Reserve is located, is the largest agricultural base in Shanghai, with dozens of square kilometers of farmland, which can be described as endless. Standing on Changjiang Road and looking around, there are large green wheat fields all around. Many rectangular wheat fields have bamboo poles inserted into the four corners of the fields, and a circle of fishing lines is enclosed. The height of the fishing line is about 15 meters. Further south, the wheat fields are more densely lined. The reporter counted that a wheat field was divided into 10 sections on the wide side, and there were as many as 10 fishing lines parallel to the long side.
Flock of birds flying in the field. Photo by Cao Bowen.
Zhao Tiantian told reporters that these fishing lines are the "wisdom" produced by farmers out of desperation. This area is close to the reserve and is particularly rich in birds. Earlier, crab farmers near Dongtan used fishing lines to prevent waterfowl from eating crab seedlings, so farmers followed suit and pulled fishing lines in the fields. However, once the bird touches this thread, it can easily become entangled. The higher the density of the thread, the higher the chance that the bird will be injured. If the bird is not rescued in time, it will be more than lucky. Either starve to death, or be eaten by birds of prey, stray dogs. There are many birds of prey such as harriers and falcons. Of course, birds of prey at the top of the food chain can also become victims by being caught in silk nets.
It's fine if it's an ordinary bird, but what if it's a species like a 'bald crane' that is being hooked? Zhao Tiantian was worried. "The hooded crane is equivalent to a flagship species in the Chongming Dongtan Nature Reserve, and is a national first-class key protected wild animal, as precious as the giant panda. But here, and only here, they return to winter every winter. ”
Chongming Dongtan is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River and is an important part of the migratory bird migration route in the Asia-Pacific region. In mid-to-late November 2023, a special survey of winter migratory birds was conducted in the Chongming Dongtan Bird National Nature Reserve, and more than 40,000 birds of 53 species were recorded inhabiting the reserve. Among them, there are 1,816 red swans, 47 white-headed cranes and 72 oriental white storks, which are national key protected birds.
Ma Zhijun, an ornithology expert and professor at Fudan University, said that many birds in the reserve and nearby areas are rare and endangered national key protected birds. The influence of birds on agriculture is present throughout the year. Fish, shrimp, crabs and other aquatic products in the aquaculture pond near Chongming Dongtan may be eaten by some herons, cormorants and other birds. Vegetables and cash crops grown in vegetable gardens or orchards attract fruit-eating birds. The largest group of winter birds in Chongming Dongtan is ducks, which can number tens of thousands; There are also wintering geese and cranes, which feed on rice in November when the rice is harvested, and wheat seeds and seedlings in the winter. Comparatively speaking, the loss of crops caused by winter birds may be more significant.
A few feathers hang on a fishing line and swing in the wind. I don't know if the bird escaped or if it was tragically killed. Photo by Cao Bowen.
Standing in the muddy field, the weather was cold, the wind was strong, and the reporter shivered. "Look! The two flying in the sky are bald cranes! Zhao Tiantian exclaimed excitedly. The reporter felt lucky, but then what he saw was worrying: a fishing line, hung with a bird's feather, swinging in the wind. Zhao Tiantian said that it might be the feathers of the spot-billed duck, "I don't know if it escaped or was unfortunately killed." ”
Farmers had no choice but to set up fishing lines.
While talking to Zhao Tiantian, a fellow drove by on an electric tricycle. The villager's surname is Jiang, and when he went to collect fish cages nearby, there were buckets of small fish on the tricycle. The reporter asked him about the role of the fishing line in the field. "This thread is to frighten and frighten the birds, to prevent them from eating the wheat. A friend of mine is farming in the north, and this month's wheat has been eaten up by the birds. Uncle Jiang pointed to a blue house not far away and said, "You can go there and ask someone, I don't know if the boss is there." ”
The translucent line is so thin that it is difficult to spot at a distance. Photo by Cao Bowen.
Under the guidance of the villagers, we came to the intersection of Guanhai Road and a small road south of Changjiang East Road. It is a threshing floor with farm tools and agricultural machinery scattered around, and a row of improvised workshops on the side. There was a knock on the door, and a peasant walked out. Explaining his intentions, the farmer named Fan Genxing immediately opened the conversation. "There are so many wild ducks here, they fly like dark clouds when they come! November and December are the most. The weather is a little better when it is dry, there will be more rain as soon as it rains, and there will be more tomorrow and the day after tomorrow! Fan Genxing said bitterly, "Birds like to eat wheat, wheat leaves, and rice. They came down in the thousands, and they ate almost enough in one night, and they couldn't get rid of them. There's some unsold grain in the threshing floor here, and the birds will come, and you can see there's guano all over there. ”
The farmland canal became a "swimming ground" for the mallard. Photo by Cao Bowen.
Fan Genxing, a native of Chongming, is in his 60s this year and has worked here for 10 years. According to him, the farmland here is owned by SIIC. Together with two other people, he manages 3,600 acres of land. The land was contracted by a boss. "I'm working for this boss now, and I'm getting paid. A few years ago, I cooperated with the boss, and the food was exchanged for half of the money. The owner pays the rent, and we pay the labor. He told reporters that when he used to farm at home, there were not so many birds, and it was not a big problem for birds to eat crops. But here, the problem is serious. They tried setting off firecrackers to catch birds, and although it was a little useful, people ran slower than birds, and the ground was too big for so many people to catch them. "Later, we saw that people who raised crab ponds and fish and shrimp ponds used fishing lines to prevent wild ducks from eating crabs and fish and shrimp, so we did the same. Fan Genxing said that the effect must be there now, but the crab pond and shrimp pond are small after all, and the farmland area is large, so the fishing line does not play a big role. When the rice is harvested in November and the wheat is planted, it will be very distressing. Because at that time, the wheat seedlings had not yet grown, and the birds directly ate the wheat seeds that had just sprouted. "It's better to eat wheat leaves at this time, after all, the roots are still underneath and will grow again. But just like a serious illness in life, regrowth will definitely affect the yield. "We have reported it to the citizens **12345 and SIIC, but it is difficult to solve it. Fan Genxing's face was full of helplessness, "We lost more than 400,000 yuan last year, not all of which were eaten by birds, but also natural disasters such as typhoons." The typhoon blew all the rice down, and the wild ducks came down to eat it, and if it didn't blow down, it would not be easy to eat. ”
Hooded cranes roam the wheat fields where fishing lines are laid, and danger lurks in them. Photo by Uncle A.
We will definitely respond to the state's proposal to protect wild animals, but who will consider the interests of our old farmers? "Before the legislation, it was a common occurrence to kill birds." But now we can't, we don't dare to do this, we have to go to jail. Of course, if you see a bird being hung on the **, you will also let it go, I saved a crane. "Now it costs thousands of dollars a year to set off firecrackers and set up fishing lines, including materials and labor. He hopes that ** or enterprises can give farmers some compensation. When the reporter consulted the relevant company about this, the staff refused to be interviewed. Xu Qiang, vice chairman of the Working Committee of the Alxa SEE East China Sea Project Center, said that in recent years, with the improvement of people's awareness of environmental protection, the rare birds in the reserve have slowly spread outward. Many of the birds that rest and forage in the farmland and fish ponds in the countryside and are active in the fields of Chongming are national and local protected animals. The increase in the number of birds has indeed brought some trouble to the nearby contractors. However, there is not enough research to support the effectiveness of fishing lines in preventing bird loss, but there have been cases of birds being entangled in fishing lines and causing deaths and injuries.
Can it be gentler?
Is there a better option to prevent birds from eating crops? How do you balance the interests of people and the safety of birds? Ma Zhijun believes that the Chongming Dongtan Reserve has carried out a series of fruitful work in bird conservation, and the number of birds in Chongming Dongtan and the surrounding areas has increased significantly. As a result, the problem of birds affecting agricultural production has become more serious. This is actually a global and universal problem, and it is also a problem that Chongming Dongtan will face for a long time in the future. To solve this problem, we need to participate in multiple parties and take multiple measures at the same time, and we will explore it together.
The carcass of a bird is eaten by a wild dog. Photo by Li Zhong.
According to Zhi Shuqi, a scientific advisor at the Shanshui Conservation Center, farmland is also a common habitat for birds, and it is best to be able to coexist peacefully with birds and provide some food. However, it is unfair that only local farmers and agricultural companies should bear this part of the loss. The fishing line used by farmers in Chongming Dongtan is a bird deterrent technique that is a relatively mild method when birds have to be repelled. Bird deterrence techniques include: elimination and removal. Elimination is the creation of a physical barrier that prevents birds from entering an area. And the common way to clear it is to hit the bird, which does the most damage.
We can also consider conducting a controlled experiment by adding reflective tape to the fishing line, so that it will be more audible and visual when the wind blows. It is hoped that through improvement, the fishing line can be made more gentle to prevent birds and reduce the damage to birds. When faced with conflicts between rare or endangered birds and agricultural production (such as the bald cranes in Chongming's Dongtan), Shu Qi said, they can also consider supplementing food sources to leave space for birds.
How to make the fishing line more "gentle" is also Ma Zhijun's concern. He suggested that if you use an anti-bird line to prevent birds, you need to have certain regulations on the color and thickness of the anti-bird line, so that the birds can see and prevent the birds from falling in the field, so as to drive the birds without hurting the birds. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the research and development and design of more effective anti-bird products.
On the other hand, how to effectively transform ecological value into economic value, so as to reduce local losses, and even reduce the number of birds driven away and protect rare and endangered birds, is also a problem that Ma Zhijun thinks about. He believes that ecotourism and ecological research such as bird watching can be explored in the local area, so as to create a green, ecological and pollution-free agricultural product brand, and increase the added value of agricultural products, so as to compensate or reduce the losses caused by birds.
The giant buzzard, a national second-class protected animal, was rescued after hanging on the net. Photo by Alex.
Xu Qiang also suggested that on the premise of not affecting the habitat of rare and endangered birds, in-depth research should be carried out on the development of tourism agriculture and leisure agriculture in relevant plots, as well as the development of study tours and research projects related to nature and agricultural experience. Develop environmentally friendly agricultural products, use rare and endangered animals to inhabit in agricultural product production areas as selling points, enhance the added value of organic pollution-free and ecological value of agricultural products, and realize the sustainability of agricultural production. For example, whether it is possible to develop an agricultural product similar to "bald crane rice".
In fact, the development of environmentally friendly agricultural products is already a more widely used practice in other places. For example, Xu Qiang said that in Taiwan, the leopard cat is called "Shihu", and some people produce environmentally friendly rice in its distribution area, which is named "Shihu rice"; There is an endemic bird called "Taiwan Blue Magpie" in Taiwan, which will take care of the survival and habitat of Taiwan Blue Magpie when planting tea in the tea garden where they are distributed, so the tea produced here is named "Taiwan Blue Magpie Tea".
How hard is eco-compensation?
In the course of the interviews, the key word ecological compensation was mentioned by all those involved. It is generally accepted that ecological compensation is a better solution in human-wildlife conflicts. However, who will pay the money, how to assess the loss, and how to formulate compensation mechanisms and supporting measures are all difficult problems that need to be solved.
Zhi Shuqi noticed that the "Wildlife Protection of the People's Republic of China**" has relevant provisions on compensation for damages. However, the Shanghai Wildlife Protection Regulations do not see "compensation for damage".
Article 19 of the Wildlife Protection of the People's Republic of China mentions that the local people shall compensate for the loss of people, crops or other property due to the protection of wild animals protected by this Law. Specific measures shall be formulated by the people of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government. Relevant local people** may promote insurance institutions to carry out insurance business for compensation for damage caused by wild animals. The relevant local people's measures to prevent and control the harm caused by wildlife under national key protection and other terrestrial wildlife that cause serious harm, as well as the funds required for compensation, are to be subsidized by the ** finance.
The carcass of a bird caught in a fishing line. Photo by Li Zhong.
Article 22 of the Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on the Protection of Wild Animals stipulates that the municipal wildlife protection department shall organize and carry out investigation and assessment of wildlife hazards; The contents of the investigation and assessment mainly include the wildlife activity area, the hazard situation, the degree of impact, the analysis of the causes, and the prevention and control measures.
Zhi Shuqi said that the state still needs to do a lot of preliminary work to implement the response measures caused by wild animals. "How to assess the damage and how to compensate for it all require preliminary work from the relevant departments. We, as a conservation agency, are also doing some related work. ”
Xu Qiang said that the ecological compensation that is widely understood is that wolves and snow leopards in northwest China eat herders' livestock, and elephants in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, go to the village to eat buds and gnaw on saplings, and this kind of loss is more intuitive and relatively easy to assess. Although there are precedents for birds pecking at crops in Dongting Lake and other places in China, the situation varies from place to place. The actual amount of damage caused by birds to crops in different places varies from farmer to farmer. Therefore, scientific investigation methods and conclusions are very important.
Xu Qiang revealed that this year, the Alxa SEE East China Sea Project Center plans to cooperate with the Department of Ecology of Fudan University and the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center to carry out investigation and research on the conflict between humans and birds in the farmland around the Chongming Dongtan Reserve. At present, the three parties are in the pre-cooperation exploration stage, and have jointly carried out a number of farmland surveys and bird rescue activities since December last year.
The relationship between agriculture and biodiversity is now a hot topic of international discussion, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to human-bird conflicts like this. Zhi Shuqi said that because on the one hand, it is agricultural production, which is related to food security, and on the other hand, it is the ecological protection of birds. We're doing some research right now, and we're in the exploratory phase. It is hoped that some background research can be done for some relevant regulations or measures that may be introduced in the future.
Review |People and birds are in harmony and look forward to legal protection.
A white spoonbill is struggling with a fishing line entangled in the water. Photo by Yao Wang.
The reproduction and migration of birds is a bellwether of the ecological environment. Recently, I saw a good news about birds, but this good news has also caused troubles for some people.
The good news is that after more than a decade of eco-island construction, the number of waterbird species on Chongming Island, which accounts for more than 1% of the global population, has more than doubled from 7 in 2011 to 16 in 2023. The number of Oriental White Stork, a national first-class protected animal, recorded in the Chongming Dongtan Bird National Nature Reserve, has also reached a new high. This shows that Shanghai's wetland protection work has been fruitful and the ecological environment is getting better and better.
However, this has also led to large areas of farmland near the reserve being "preded" by birds, and the situation is getting worse every year. Farmers have no choice but to set up fishing lines in the fields to prevent birds, resulting in birds often being injured or even killed. The peasant said very matter-of-factly: "We don't want to go to prison either, but who will take into account our interests?" ”
This year, 2 February marks the 28th World Wetlands Day. The theme of this year's Wetlands Day is "Wetlands and Human Well-being", and the slogan is "People and Wetland Life Intertwined". This theme is in line with the current ecological protection problems of Chongming Dongtan.
I heard from friends in the suburbs that farmland and fruit groves will attract birds to peck at food. At present, farmers mainly rely on manual and repeated evictions, and losses are unavoidable. The old methods, such as scarecrows to scare and make the wind blow through and make a noise, are no longer effective. The damage is there, but it is not yet a disaster. However, Chongming Dongtan is the largest agricultural base in Shanghai, and it is closely connected to the largest nature reserve in Shanghai.
Human-bird strife is a form of conflict between man and beast. World Nature** defines human-animal conflict as an event that occurs between humans and wildlife and has negative effects on both parties, such as fear, injury, death, and loss of property or livelihoods. Common human-animal conflicts include livestock loss and crop destruction, wildlife attacks on humans**, and retaliatory killings of wildlife.
Humans and wildlife are both conflicting and coexisting. The possibility of coexistence depends on the understanding of the problem of human-animal conflict and the search for solutions. Experts generally agree that ecological compensation is a good way to resolve human-animal conflicts. However, at present, there are still many ambiguities in the compensation for damage caused by wild animals in laws and regulations, and it is difficult to define compensation. In the long run, the key is to use the rule of law thinking and methods to resolve the conflict between man and bird and the conflict between man and beast.
It is worth noting that the problem of birds "encroaching" on farmland and fruit forests is different from the problem of wild boars and elephants destroying crops, and it is difficult to quantify how to assess the damage. Industry insiders admit that it is very difficult to formulate a compensation mechanism and supporting methods for human and bird disputes. If you want to solve the problem, you must first make a scientific assessment. Happily, research is ongoing. It is believed that in the near future, a scientific research report will provide us with more reference to solve problems, and also provide more help for the formulation and improvement of laws and regulations.
In addition, there is another question that is also necessary to make a scientific assessment: is the vicinity of the Chongming Dongtan Bird National Nature Reserve suitable for growing food? What are the gains and losses from growing grain? If the losses outweigh the gains, should the industrial structure be adjusted according to local conditions? For example, the crop structure and spatial and temporal distribution should be adjusted, and the crop species that birds do not like to eat in the region should be planted in areas with frequent damage, and the crops with serious damage should be moved away from areas with frequent damage for planting.
Xinmin Eye Studio.
Author |Tu Yu, Cao Bowen.
* |Cao Bowen.
Edit |Gu Yingying.