European appetite for frogs' legs causing biodiversity crisis in countries supplying delicacy
In the last decade, about 2m frogs were imported into the EU, mainly by Belgian firms for French consumers. File picture: AP/Conservation International
European diners' penchant for delicacies such as frogs' legs is causing a "fatal domino effect" in major areas of ecology and biodiversity, scientists have warned.
In the last decade, about 2m frogs were imported into the EU, mainly by Belgian firms for French consumers.
In Europe, frogs are a protected species under the habitats directive, but that has not stopped the trade from countries where various species have been dwindling to the point of a biodiversity crisis.
According to a new study published in the journal , "over decades of exploitation, the EU imports have contributed to a decline in wild frog populations in an increasing number of supplying countries, such as India and Bangladesh, as well as Indonesia, Turkey and Albania more recently".
Despite the increasing dearth of frogs in such countries, there have been no concerted attempts by the EU and present export countries to ensure sustainability of this trade, researchers at the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change in Germany said.
Because frogs are a natural predator for controlling insects and other species in the overall ecosystem, their disappearing numbers has seen the use of pesticides increase in various countries as a way to compensate for the loss of their role. This in turn plays havoc with the ecological and biodiverse habitats.
India and Bangladesh were the biggest suppliers to Europe of frogs' legs in the 1970s but the countries banned exports when local frog populations collapsed.
It then led to Indonesia, one of the world's richest biodiversity areas, becoming the new top supplier. Turkey and Albania have also become major suppliers.
All three of the new supply countries are seeing a collapse in numbers as Europe dines on the delicacy.
Co-author of the study Dr Sandra Altherr, a biologist and wildlife trade expert of the Germany-based charity Pro Wildlife, said: "The EU is by far the world's largest importer of frogs' legs, and large-legged species such as the crab-eating grass frog, the giant Javan frog, and the East Asian bullfrog are in particular demand among supposed gourmets in Europe."
The burgeoning pesticide problem from importing frogs has also left a gaping hole in quality control, the researchers said, after they could not find any published data on whether pesticide residues and other potentially toxic substances in processed frogs or their legs imported into the EU have been monitored.
“This in itself is shocking,” they said.
They said they "strongly recommend that this monitoring become an urgent near-future task for importing countries", despite acknowledging the issue of frogs' legs is not a priority currently for the EU.
