Asian frogs at risk of extinction due to European hunger for frog legs

Residents of France and Belgium, as well as tourists who visit these countries, love to eat frog legs. Mostly with the idea that it is a real local delicacy. That is not true. At least, the animals that are eaten mainly come from Asia. In large quantities. Conservationists in Indonesia and Vietnam sound the alarm as species are rapidly disappearing as a result of European restaurant culture.

Every year, France imports 2,500 tons of frog legs, mostly from Indonesia and Vietnam, where the animals are barely protected. A spokesperson for the animal welfare organization Humane Society International says that the number of wild frogs, once omnipresent, in Vietnam has declined sharply in recent decades. “It's even hard to find them now”

Frog legs are on the menu in most French restaurants. Every year, around 4,000 tons of fried frog limbs disappear into the mouths. The French Ministry of Agriculture even calls the court cultural heritage. This is remarkable because the frogs that are killed are protected in France, like the rest of the European Union. There are strict fishing rules and restrictions, which in the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region can only take place between the end of February and the beginning of April. Every year, France imports 2,500 tons of frog legs, mostly from Indonesia and Vietnam, where the animals are barely protected. A spokesperson for the animal welfare organization Humane Society International says that the number of wild frogs, once omnipresent, in Vietnam has declined sharply in recent decades. “It's even hard to find them now”

An Indonesian biologist explains to the South China Morning Post to fear that entire species will disappear. This is not only disastrous for the animals themselves, but also for the eco-system. Frogs feed on insects en masse. The disappearance of the natural enemy will mean that more pesticides will be used to expel the insects. This is a direct threat to public health. Frog enthusiasts who don't think about changing their diet see a solution in frog breeding centers where the animals are industrially imprisoned in tanks to ultimately serve as consumption. For this purpose, scientists have created a special type of frog. Natural frogs only eat moving insects, which is difficult from an industrial point of view. The factory frogs also eat solid food that doesn't move. The 'production' of the animals is still too little to meet the enormous demand. In 2019, French frog farms supplied around 10 tons of animal legs.

What would our world look like if the roles of humans and animals were reversed?
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