It turns out that some species are in danger of extinction because the French consume too many frog legs. More than 500 environmental activists have warned French President Emmanuel Macron that the frog is endangered.
France consumes 3,000 tons of frogs every year
In an open letter sent to the French President this month, environmental activists claim that 4,070 tons of frozen frog legs are imported into the European Union every year. This amounts to around 80 to 200 million frogs, depending on the size of the species.
The concern expressed by environmentalists centers around a study completed by Robin des Bios and Pro Wildlife. According to this study, France alone consumes 3,000 tons of frog legs a year.
The environmental impact of the French interest in this strange delicacy is causing the numbers of several common frog species to decline, according to the letter. Among the affected species are the rice field frog and the crab-eating frog.
What is most interesting about this is that frog populations native to the European Union are actually protected from “commercial exploitation”. However, this protection does not extend to species outside the region. This is why the import of frog legs has become an extremely popular market.
Environmentalists are now calling on France to protect the dwindling frog species and to better monitor and regulate imports of this delicacy into the country. Whether the letter will be effective remains to be seen.
Of course, this is not the first time humanity has driven a species to near extinction. The bison, a bovine animal, was also threatened with extinction due to human overconsumption. What do you think? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
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