Anyone For Cane Toad?
Newcastle Herald
Wednesday August 4, 1999
THE invincible cane toad may have met its match ? the Chinese food market.
Cane toad is one of the more unusual food products from the Northern Territory set to be exported to China later this year. Another is jellyfish.
John Ratcliffe, a Melbourne-based practitioner of Chinese medicine, is organising a massive hunt of cane toads around Borroloola, south-west of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The toads are to be sent to Hang Zhou in southern China for meat processing.
The toad, introduced to Australia in 1938 from Hawaii, is a serious pest in Queensland and parts of NSW. Its skin produces a highly poisonous venom.
But, Mr Ratcliffe said, once the skin was removed cane toad could be eaten like frogs' legs and was considered a delicacy in southern China.
`I'm told it's delicious,' he said.
It is hoped the toad hunt will hinder the toad's march from Queensland towards Kakadu National Park.
Chinese businessmen told an incredulous Mr Ratcliffe earlier this year that they wanted 24,000 cane toads a month.
`They all started licking their lips and rubbing their tummies and going "yum, yum" so we thought OK, they are not kidding.'
He will offer the toad-hunters between 10? and 20? a head and expects to sell them for 38? each.
© 1999 Newcastle Herald