Despite declining bullfrog population, new generation of hunters continue to preserve their profession alive
Bullfrogs are an essential part of European cuisine, hence many people in Turkey’s rural northern and southern provinces hunt them for export.
The small jumping animal is one of the country’s exports, and hunters sell their catch to traders in several western countries. Bullfrog hunting is primarily concentrated in the provinces of northwestern Edirne and southern Hatay.
Despite the declining bullfrog population in the country, the new generation of hunters, who acquired the art of hunting from their fathers, continue to preserve their profession alive.
Hunting in the Meric district of Edirne, which is famous for its paddy, takes about five hours. Captured bullfrogs are sold through a middleman for roughly 30 Turkish liras (approximately $2.7) per kilo.
Huseyin Erhan, a resident of Meric’s Subasi hamlet, intercedes for the delivery of frogs from hunters to the exporter company.
“Hunters collect the bullfrogs in water channels in the rice fields and bring them to me,”Erhan added, emphasizing that bullfrog hunting has been practiced in the region since the 1970s.
“I place them in five-pound nets and keep them in an air-conditioned area after I do the necessary cleaning,” he said.
“The company’s refrigerated truck visits me twice a week to take the bullfrogs. Our biggest customers are France and Italy,” he noted.