[imagesource:wonderai]

A group of scientists and vets have warned that France’s hunger for frogs’ legs is “destructive to nature” and endangering amphibians in Asia and Southeast Europe.

More than 500 experts from research, veterinary and conservation groups have called on Emmanuel Macron, the French president, to “end the overexploitation of frogs” and afford the most traded species better protections.

The EU imports the equivalent of 80-200 million frogs each year, the majority of which are consumed in France. Most come from wild populations in Indonesia, Turkey and Albania, as well as from farms in Vietnam, according to a study by Robin des Bois and Pro Wildlife, two conservation nonprofits that organised the letter.

The practice is “not at all in line” with the EU’s wildlife strategy, said Sandra Altherr, the head of science at Pro Wildlife.

“It’s absurd: the natural frog populations here in Europe are protected under EU law. But the EU still tolerates the collection of millions of animals in other countries – even if this threatens the frog populations there.”

The French eat more frog legs than any other country in the European Union, usually fried in batter or sautéed with garlic and parsley.

The scientists propose that France should try to win worldwide safeguards for fragile frog species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), which works to combat the illegal trade in plants and animals.

46 Environment NGOs made a similar request to the French Environment Ministry in February.

Studies suggest that some frog species are already suffering. The fanged river frog (Limnonectes macrodon) has apparently disappeared from commercial imports to France, according to the letter to Macron, while two more common species – the crab-eating frog (Fejervarya cancrivora) and rice-field frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) – have been in decline due to intense commercial harvests for many years.

Frogs also play important roles in ecosystems and on farms. Tadpoles can improve water quality in ponds and frogs can help farmers use fewer pesticides. They could also help keep infectious diseases at bay by eating mosquitoes.

Environmental issues aside, folks can surely do without eating the legs of amphibians.

[source:guardian]