Ban the Importation of Foie Gras into the UK

This petition reached 100.000 signatures for UK Parliament and was presented to UK Parliament on Thursday 21st November 2013, but its still open as we need as many signatures as possible for presentation to EU Parliament and Commission in Brussels, so please sign. 

Despite the production of foie-gras being banned in many European countries (Council of Europe, 1999), the sale of foie-gras is not prohibited. This makes a mockery of existing animal welfare legislation in the UK, by allowing a product to be imported and sold here, that would be illegal to produce here.

European Trade rules are often quoted as the reason why a ban on the importation of foie-gras into the UK would not be possible. However, there are 3 main clauses which can be challenged, to allow countries to ban imports:

1. Public morality, all polls show that the public in Britain would like to see this banned.
2. France did not stick to the treaty of the EU recommendations and that could be challenged i.e they didn't do what was recommended by the EU.
3. It is illegal to produce in the UK due to the cruelty involved. And a European Council Directive states: "No animal shall be provided with food or liquid in a manner... which may cause unnecessary suffering or injury"

We believe we now have enough evidence to challenge the importation of foie-gras.

Foie gras, French for "fatty liver," is made from the grotesquely enlarged livers of male ducks and geese. The "delicacy" known as foie gras is one of the most sickening examples of cruelty promoted as "luxury."

We, the undersigned, strongly urge the UK Parliament to ban the Importation of Foie Gras into the UK. The birds are kept in tiny wire cages or packed into sheds. Pipes are repeatedly, cruelly, forced down the birds' throats, and up to 4 pounds of grain and fat are pumped into their stomachs two or three times every day for two to three weeks until they can barely move and are on the verge of organ rupture and death.

This is totally unacceptable and cruel. Due to free trade laws, UK being one of the biggest importers of Foie Gras, are importing this cruelty.


UK Parliament
We the undersigned appeal to The European Parliament to ban Foie Gras in ALL of Europe.
The EU intends to eliminate the force feeding of geese and ducks for foie gras within 15 years. This is an unacceptable length of time.
To produce "foie gras" (which literally means "fatty liver"), workers ram pipes down male ducks' or geese's throats two or three times daily and pump as much as 4 pounds of grain and fat into the animals' stomachs, causing their livers to bloat to up to 10 times their normal size. Many birds have difficulty standing because of their engorged livers, and they may tear out their own feathers and cannibalize each other out of stress.


The birds are kept in tiny wire cages or packed into sheds. On some farms, a single worker may be expected to force-feed 500 birds three times each day. Because of this rush, animals are often treated roughly and left injured and suffering.


The vast amounts of feed pumped down the ducks' throats causes enormous internal pressure, and the pipe sometimes punctures the oesophagus, causing many to die from choking on the blood that fills their lungs. Some birds literally burst, choke to death on their own vomit, or become so weak that they are unable to fend off rats from eating them alive. Other ducks die a slow, painful, and premature death by suffocation from inhalation of regurgitated feed.


Unable to feel the sun on their backs or ground beneath their feet, the ducks are held in cages so small that they cannot fully stand or stretch their wings. To make matters worse, the ducks and geese are housed without access to swimming water even though ducks need to be able to immerse themselves in water to remain healthy. Access to water on these farms is so limited that the ducks cannot adequately clean their nostrils and eyes, which can lead to blindness


For the millions of little female ducklings born another horror awaits. They are tossed alive into electric mincers at just a few days old to suffer a violent and horrific death. their only crime is they dont put on weight as quickly as their brothers.


The pain and suffering caused by foie-gras production has no place in a civilised society. Our aim is simple to implore you to make Europe a foie-gras free zone.

UKs biggest retailer Amazon, has banned the sale of Foie Gras.

 http://www.viva.org.uk/what-we-do/foie-gras-free-britain/online-cruelty


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/video-cruelty-chef-gordon-ramsays-2688593


 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3de4KcxpeM



 

Update #18 years ago
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