** Fritz Pölking Prize ** | Jasper Doest – Nsenene

Twice a year, after the rains in Uganda, countless grasshoppers or bush crickets of the species Ruspolia differens appear, forming huge swarms at night in search of food and breeding partners. During this time, a lot of people in rural areas stay up until dusk to catch and sell the insects, which are called nsenene in Ugandan. This is an old tradition in Uganda that creates jobs and provides considerable income, as the crickets are considered a delicacy and are highly sought after.
Predicting the Ugandan grasshopper season is a risky venture for people trying to make money in this country of widespread poverty as the occurrence and size of the swarms vary greatly. But many are willing to take the risk. In addition, people involved in nsenene harvesting are at risk of long‑term damage to their health from prolonged exposure to UV-C radiation from the bright lights used to attract the animals. Catching crickets is opportunistic, just like the citizens of Uganda, and the business of nsenenes has grown rapidly in recent years as a result of the country's economic boom. At the same time, climate change, deforestation, palm oil plantations and the use of pesticides on farms threaten the insect's habitat and challenge the future of this fragile ecosystem and its traditions.



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