A man who offered cooked egrets at his restaurant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, and claimed he did so because the birds ate the fish he farms may face criminal punishment for capturing and killing wildlife, as an investigation continues to determine how many he caught.

Three live egrets and 18 frozen birds were found at the restaurant run by Ye Xingquan last week and the initial investigation found Ye had captured or killed 28 egrets, Western China Metropolis Daily reported.

Sichuan is on the path of egrets as they migrate from the north to the warmer south. The species affects fish farms, crops, domestic animals, water resources and even children’s health, as some react to the birds droppings.

In the village of Zhangba, for example, people cut down trees and ceased farming fish to discourage the egrets from settling.

Wetland parks were established in some places to accommodate the birds.

A policy exists for those who suffer loss because of the protection of key wildlife to claim compensation but few have applied because some are not aware of the policy or cannot be bothered with the procedure.

After Ye's case was reported by the media, a birdlover offered to give him 7,000 yuan ($1,140) in compensation each year.

liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn