Tran Van Tien of Tram Chim Tourism Area in Dong Thap Province said field rat hunting during the flood season had increasingly become a form of community-based tourism, creating additional jobs and income for local people.
The hunting season usually runs from September to November each year. As floodwaters rise, rats lose their usual shelter and seek higher ground, dense bushes or dry tree stumps.
Hunters scatter food around dry tree stumps to lure the rats before placing nets around the area to trap them.
They also use other tools, including sacks and traditional basket traps, to catch rats in rice fields.
Residents in the Mekong Delta catch field rats during the flood season to earn extra income
The trade has become particularly active in flood-prone areas of An Giang and Dong Thap at this time of year.
Nguyen Minh Duong, a resident of Thuong Phuoc Commune, Dong Thap Province, said that although rat hunting was seasonal work, it provided both enjoyment and a useful source of income for many households during the flood season.
Each person can catch several kilograms to more than 10kg of rats a day, while productive households can catch several dozen kilograms, Duong said.
The catch is either sold to traders or kept as an additional source of food for the family.
After being caught, the rats are taken to collection points, where they are sorted and then distributed to buyers. Prices vary depending on size and supply. Live field rats sell for from VND 100,000 (USD 3.85) per kilo, while cleaned rat meat is sold for VND 120,000-150,000 (USD 4.62-5.78) per kilo.
Although field rat meat is a familiar dish in the Mekong Delta, it remains unappealing to many people, particularly tourists. Some are reluctant to try it, while those who have tasted it often regard it as a seasonal speciality and are willing to buy it when available.
