Up to 200 million frogs are slaughtered annually to feed the continent's appetite for the amphibians, and France has a 'particular responsibility' to limit the damage, a group of vets, researchers and conservationists have said.
Some frog species are being threatened by Europe's, and especially France's, appetite for frogs' legs, hundreds of experts have warned. In a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, more than 550 vets, researchers and conservationists have called for the EU to stop allowing the 'overexploitation' of frogs in Asia and southeast Europe for the EU's hunger for frogs' legs.
One species, the fanged river frog has apparently disappeared from commercial imports to France, it said, quoting 'recent field studies'. Even common species such as the crab-eating frog and the rice-field frog are already in decline 'due to intense commercial harvests and exports for many years'. Frogs play a crucial role in ecosystem function and continuous offtakes disrupt their functions, the letter said.