22 January 2009

Appetite for frogs’ legs increases

Scientists have called for tighter regulation and monitoring of the global frog-meat market in order to avoid species being "eaten to extinction”.

Research published in the journal Conservation Biology suggests that the global market for frog-meat appears to be rising, putting some species at risk of overexploitation in the wild, particularly in Asia.

The authors report that over 180 million frogs are harvested from wild populations each year to meet demand (largely from markets in the European Union and the United States), according to New Scientist magazine. The study examined UN data on the international trade in frogs’ legs.

The researchers propose a certification process, with monitoring and reporting systems, to ensure sustainable harvesting of frogs from the wild.

More at New Scientist

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