03/02/15 Zebras Also on a Plate?
Animal Friends for stopping the sale of wild animal meat in Metro stores
- Animal Friends, prompted by reports from citizens, appeals to ethics of the management of Metro in their letter
Prompted by calls and the expressed dissatisfaction of many citizens, Animal Friends sent a letter to the management of the wholesale chain Metro, clearly condemning the expansion of their offer to also include the meat from wild and exotic animal species.
Citizens were shocked by the realization that Metro recently started offering for sale the meat from exotic and wild animals such as bison, zebra, crocodile, bear and wild rabbit. Animal Friends have expressed disgust towards the attitude of the Metro company that it is acceptable to sell wild and exotic animal meat, and highlighted that there is really no need to promote and popularize eating the meat of such animals too. The food industry already exploits beyond measure and treats with extreme cruelty billions of domestic animals.
Presented was the stance that there is no need to encourage hunting and the breeding of wild animals to obtain meat. The more widespread that the market for these kinds of meat products is, the easier it is for poachers to sell illegal meat because it is difficult to distinguish from legal meat. This can bring many species to the brink of extinction, and the number of animals in the wild is already in constant decline. In addition to that, such overhunting leads to negative selection of animal species.
Besides the very important issue of sustainability, hunting is cruel. A large percentage of animals that suffers injuries from firearms does not die quickly or painlessly. The surviving young without parents, if they have not become independent yet, await a slow and painful death from starvation or predation. Endangered species and even humans often 'accidentally' become casualties during a hunt. In addition to that, it is important for all involved in the business with animals to become aware that they are living beings with needs, fully capable of feeling sadness and pain, just like any other living being, and that they have the right to life.
Many studies have confirmed the harmfulness of consuming meat, dairy products and eggs to human health. Therefore, Animal Friends appeals to the management of Metro, as entrepreneurs who care about the health and well-being of their customers, to encourage reducing the intake of animal products into the human body, and not the opposite.
Instead of products that are based on the killing of animals and the destruction of nature, why not target ecologically conscious consumers? With the request that the contentious meat products from wild and exotic animal species be withdrawn from Metro stores, Animal Friends submitted a proposal about increasing the offer of vegan products, such as vegetable cheese and soy meat, to the benefit of all citizens, animals and the environment.
Every year on industrial farms, over 60 billion animals are farmed and killed, which causes not only immense suffering of living beings and irreparable devastation of the environment but it also affects world hunger and human health. In that situation, the expansion of your meat offer even to include exotic species is highly reprehensible, shameful and shows complete indifference to humane values.
Croatia is a desirable tourist destination because of the high degree to which nature and authentic Croatian culture has been conserved. Tourists do not come to Croatia to eat zebra or crocodile meat. An increasing number of customers and tourists boycott stores and countries that are ruthless towards animals and that do not care about ecology and sustainable living, and large enterprises should become aware of that.
Taking into consideration all the cruelty and lack of ecological ethics that is behind the trade in meat from exotic species and wild animals, citizens and Animal Friends express the hope that Metro will stop the continued import and sale of such meat at least.
Letters sent to Metro's directorate can be viewed on following links:
Metro - a letter to Marc Carena [57.62 Kb]
Metro - a letter to Marina Stepinac [57.13 Kb]
Metro - a letter to Vladimir Gnjidic [57.35 Kb]
![Zebras also on a plate? [ 316.64 Kb ]](/data/image_3_9401.jpg "Zebras also on a plate? [ 316.64 Kb ]")
