French frogs under threat

Press, 21 January 1984, Page 21

French frogs under threat

NZPA-AFP Paris French consumption of frogs’ legs has increased 10 times in the last 10 years, resulting in huge imports from Asian countries and a growing threat to the existence of the French variety, says the Batrachological Society of France. Mr Alain Dubois, secre-tary-general of the society, whose title is derived from

a Greek word meaning vertebrate amphibians, said, “In 1981 France imported 4500 tonnes of frozen and processed frogs’ legs, from about 250 million frogs, mainly from India, Laos, and Vietnam.

“The consumption of frogs’ legs has increased tenfold over the last 10 years, mainly because they can be frozen and imported.

“This means they are far more readily available on the market than in the old days, when they were a regional speciality.” The growing demand for frogs’ legs caused the French Agronomical Research Institute to investigate the possibility of raising frogs on special farms, but this was found impractical.

“In any case, there was the possibility of bringing in foreign breeds such as the North American bullfrog because they are more fleshy, and this could have led to the extinction of France’s own indigenous frogs,” Mr Dubois said. “The destruction of natural fauna as well as the catching of frogs has already led to a growing decrease in their numbers,” he said.

“The frogs are cut up while still alive, either with scissors or circular saws. The head and torso are thrown back into the water, and the legs are put on ice,” he said.

“Recently we found a veritable mass grave of several thousands of mutilated frogs floating on a river in central France.”

The Frog Society will hold a national debate next year to “find a solution” to the dangers of French frogs being wiped out.