Dear Secretary Li Musheng,
I hope this message finds you well.
Last year, multiple media outlets brought widespread attention to the fireflies of Ningdu County, Ganzhou. However, instead of becoming a sanctuary for these enchanting creatures, Xiaobu Town, an ecological village, has turned into a hotspot for capturing fireflies.
Xiaobu Town is located in the northwest of Ningdu County, Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province. It is a place rich in history and cultural heritage, known as a revolutionary base and recognized as one of the top ten leisure tourism towns in Jiangxi Province.
Behind the beauty of this picturesque town lies an ecological crisis. Fireflies are being captured in large numbers from surrounding areas and brought to Xiaobu Town, only to be shipped out the next day to various destinations worldwide. Many perish en route, and the fate of those that reach their destination remains uncertain.
During a conversation with a local shop owner, she shared her concerns: “We’ve been selling fireflies for the past few years. If this continues, there won’t be any left. A lot of people go out to catch them, especially before holidays. Fireflies are in high demand, selling at a good price—one yuan each. It’s tempting for many.”
On June 10th, around 8 PM, after a heavy rainstorm and under a cloudy sky, I walked the streets of Xiaobu Town. The area, with its dense shrubs and occasional sounds of flowing water, seemed ideal for fireflies, which are nocturnal and thrive in post-rain environments. Yet, despite the favorable conditions, I couldn’t find a single firefly. Residents of Xiaobu Town lament that fireflies have become increasingly scarce. They recall a time when the hills were aglow with countless fireflies, painting a beautiful picture.
The next evening, on June 11th at 9 PM, I finally saw many fireflies, not in the wild, but at a local household. A woman named Wu Juan (a pseudonym) arrived on her motorcycle at a firefly collection point. She carefully handed a net filled with fireflies to a man named Ah Fu (a pseudonym). Despite wearing a yellow raincoat, her hair was soaked, and her face was dotted with raindrops. She eagerly asked Ah Fu to count how many fireflies she had caught.
Soon, more motorcycles arrived at the collection point, each bringing nets of fireflies. Inside the house, a few women diligently counted the fireflies, while the catchers outside chatted happily under the eaves.
Ajiao (a pseudonym), almost 30 years old, was meticulously counting fireflies and placing them into bottles. One net contained 120 fireflies, the next had 260, and so on. More motorcycles brought fireflies from the deep mountains.
Counting the Captured Fireflies
Fireflies, as indicator species, require specific environmental conditions—lush vegetation, high humidity, unpolluted water, and darkness. They communicate through bioluminescence, with males and females of the same species using their light to signal each other for mating. However, many fireflies are captured before they can mate, and those transported to urban firefly parks often die due to energy depletion or the unsuitability of the urban environment. This disrupts their reproductive cycle and can lead to the collapse of local firefly populations.
The issue of capturing fireflies has drawn significant media and public attention. Vendors claim their fireflies are bred in captivity, but investigations and reports have uncovered the truth: a lucrative trade network based on wild-caught fireflies.
The Firefly Capture Chain:
Due to over-capture, fireflies are becoming scarce in Xiaobu Town and are now near extinction. This shortage has led to capturing them from surrounding towns like Xiaobu, Da’gu Township, Huangpi Town, Diao’feng Township, Caijiang Township, Anfu Township, and beyond. This rampant capturing is causing widespread impacts.
Impacts of Capturing Fireflies:
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Illegal Capture of Wild Species: Professor Fu Xinhua explains that fireflies’ bioluminescence is crucial for mating. Large-scale capturing during the breeding season can disrupt their mating and reproduction, causing significant harm to local firefly populations. When the firefly population in an area decreases below a certain threshold, the risk of inbreeding increases, reducing genetic diversity and potentially leading to extinction.
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Disruption of the Ecological Chain: Dr. Li Xueyan, who has studied fireflies for 12 years at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, notes that fireflies occupy a crucial position in the food chain. They prey on small organisms like snails, slugs, and worms, controlling their populations and providing food for higher-tier animals. The decline or extinction of fireflies can trigger a chain reaction, destabilizing the food web and impacting higher-level species.
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Risk of Invasive Species: Transporting Ningdu’s fireflies to other regions risks introducing invasive species. If these transported fireflies survive and escape, they could threaten local firefly populations by competing for the same ecological niche. Conservationists, including Jiang Long, a nature guide at Shanghai Botanical Garden, highlight the risk of disease transmission through cross-regional movement, as parasites and pathogens can spread, endangering local wildlife and potentially visitors. The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species discourages the cross-regional transport of wildlife, underscoring the potential negative impacts on local ecosystems.
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Damage to Xiaobu Town’s Reputation as an Ecological Tourism Destination: Fireflies are not just ecological indicators but also cultural symbols. Their capture impacts public perception of Xiaobu Town as an ecological haven and tarnishes the broader image of Ningdu County. Xiaobu Town has seen significant improvements in its environment and quality of life, attracting tourists who appreciate its beautiful scenery and rich revolutionary history. However, the town’s involvement in the firefly trade is gradually eroding its ecological integrity. An ecological town devoid of fireflies is a sad reality.
We hope to see fireflies once again illuminating Ningdu’s night sky, becoming a captivating sight in the darkness. We urge you to lead the relevant authorities in taking effective measures to halt the firefly trade, ensuring these enchanting creatures are not lost from Ningdu’s night sky.
Our Recommendations:
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Stop the capture and trade of fireflies.
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Maintain strong enforcement against firefly trading.
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Establish firefly conservation areas.