Posted on 06/28/2022 5:39:41 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A new report suggests that human consumption of frog legs is pushing some species to extinction.
Restaurants with frog legs on their menus and supermarkets that stock them could be contributing to the decline of certain species of frogs. In one case, they could be pushing a frog found in Turkey toward extinction, according to a report — with the grim title "Deadly Dish" — that was recently co-published by the German nonprofit Pro Wildlife and French environmental protection organization Robin des Bois.
Originally reported by The Guardian, the two groups found state that more than 40,700 tons of frog legs were imported into the European Union between 2011 and 2020, which amounts to somewhere between 814 million to two billion frogs. The countries that import the most frog legs are Belgium, with 70 percent of the total imports, followed by France, and the Netherlands.
According to the researchers, losing such a large number of frogs every year can have a significant impact on the natural environment. "Frogs play a central role in the ecosystem as insect killers — and where frogs disappear, the use of toxic pesticides is increasing," Robin des Bois president Charlotte Nithart said. "Hence, the frogs' legs trade has direct consequences not only for the frogs themselves, but also for nature conservation."
The EU's biggest frog supplier is Indonesia, with almost three-quarters of the market, followed by Vietnam and Turkey. (In the United States, the majority of frogs imported "for human consumption" are from Mexico, Ecuador, and China; in addition, a significant number of the frogs from Ecuador and China are farmed, not caught in the wild.)
A report recently published in the journal Oryx has suggested that harvesting Anatolian water frogs in Turkey is responsible for reducing that species' population by around 20 percent every year. The report's authors project that, if the frogs are harvested at the same annual rate, the frog could be extinct by 2032.
So what are the solutions? When it comes to the Anatolian water frogs, the study authors acknowledge that the size of the market — and its financial impact — make it unrealistic to assume that the frogs will no longer be harvested. Instead, they have recommended banning the collection of live frogs during their mating seasons; training harvesters to improve the sustainability of frog-harvesting; limiting the number of frogs that a single exporter can harvest during a certain period of time; and enforcing size limits so smaller frogs are not harvested.
Those recommendations are echoed in the "Deadly Dish" report. Its authors also recommend that countries that export frogs should conduct ecological surveys to determine the existing sizes of their frog populations, and use those numbers to establish "catch and export quotas." It also recommends that the countries who import frog legs should run awareness campaigns to decrease the demand for frog legs, period.
I’ve tried cutting back. Really I have. Even flirted with the idea of going to frog leg eaters anonymous. Now they’re taking Juul off the market which was my only hope of cutting back.
I don’t eat bugs, or reptiles.
This story has touched my very heart. I pledge never to eat frogs’ legs. Am I not virtuous?
There was an episode of Columbo with Johnny Cash where Columbo eats chili and doesn’t know it is squirrel.
There are no shortages of squirrels. Hillbilly Granny probably even ate their legs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If dogs could climb trees there would be!
"Frog legs, frog legs. Frog legs so fine
Hopper's is the place you should dine.
There's cheese legs bacon legs, chili legs too. French-fried frog legs, barbecued
If you want just a snack Don't worry. Then here is the one... A frog-leg burger on a bright green bun"
You should try grasshopper legs....
I’ll go you one more and vow to never eat escargot.
They’re farmed
We had a ton of bullfrogs in the pond till the damned storck showed up and ate them. We are not allowed to shoot storks.
That’s quite a leap.
I draw the line at opossum...
Prepared escargot is buttery garlic with the texture of a chewy clam. Most people are probably underwhelmed at first. To much fuss for me.
Frog legs are DELICIOUS.
They must be talking about farm raised.
I don’t know anyone that goes out frog gigging anymore so probably frogs in the wild are safe where I live.
The ones for sale always seem to come from China so I have to do without.
I had frog legs exactly once.
We were on a cruise ship going from New York to Naples, Italy (one of many Navy brat moves) and frog legs were on the menu in the dining room one evening. My brother dared me to order and eat them. He was ten and I was eleven.
I ordered them and ate them. They tasted like chicken.
No really, they did. With a sort of fish consistency.
Can we not farm them?
I am going to drop frog legs and Juul, and start doing coke and having sex with hookers.
“Progress, not perfection...”
I lovvvve frog legs but my budget says no.
But all these frog legs stories may get me to buck my budget.
Dipped in lemon butter. Heaven on steroids.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.