Li Minglin and his colleagues left the Zhanjiang Mangrove Police Station in the early morning for an important task in the mangrove forest, which falls under the police station's jurisdiction.
Last night, Li and his team received a report that some fishermen were illegally digging up peanut worms on Lingtou Island in the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve, the largest and densest natural reserve of its kind in China. Determined to halt this illicit activity, the police set out to catch the fishermen in the act.
Peanut worms, a type of Sipuncula, play a crucial role in the ecosystem by digesting organic matter in the mud where they live. Their excretion provides essential nutrients for the growth of mangroves. Additionally, these worms are considered a delicacy in Guangdong Province, South China, making them expensive in the local market and tempting some to engage in illegal digging.
The vigilant efforts of the Zhanjiang police paid off as they successfully apprehended the fishermen. The police released the freshly dug worms back into the water, educated the fishermen about the importance of mangroves and the ecological impact of their actions, and secured a promise from them to refrain from such practices in the future.
Reference(s):
How a Zhanjiang City police station protects south China's mangroves
cgtn.com
