Press Release
February 1, 1999
Turtles, Frogs, Birds, Other Animals Slaughtered in Local Markets
California Fish & Game Meeting to Decide Animals’ Fate
American Tortoise Rescue Says Turtles are Tortured
Los Angeles – February 1, 1999 – American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) will join
other concerned animal welfare groups this Friday, February 5th, in Sacramento
when California’s Fish & Game Commission meets to discuss a ban on the
importation of live turtles and frogs into California for sale for food at live
food markets. These markets exist throughout the California, especially in Los
Angeles and San Francisco. New York and other major cities are also havens for
live markets. According to Marshall Thompson, co-founder of ATR, a nonprofit
sanctuary based in Los Angeles, "Existing laws prohibit the sale of live animals
for home slaughter, but Asian merchants continue this illegal, cruel and unsafe
practice."
American Tortoise Rescue and other animal welfare groups took the issue to the
state level, asking the California Fish & Game Commission to review the
situation. After several years, the issue is still in limbo thanks to continued
protests by Asian market owners who have a penchant for calling the animal
groups racist.
"I don’t care who you are," says Thompson, "If you hurt a turtle, I’ll protest.
Calling us racists is an insulting tactic that the market owners are using to
cloud the real issue of animal cruelty." Turtles such as the Florida softshell
and red-eared slider are favored market foods. They are slaughtered fully
conscious with no concern about their pain -- their shells are cut from their
bodies while they are still alive. In these markets, dozens of turtles and frogs
are piled in dirty buckets with little or no water, food or shade.
According to Thompson who has witnessed the cruelty, the turtles on the bottom
are often crushed, dying or dead. The state department of health, municipal
health departments and other state and federal agencies have ignored pleas to
stop the sales even though the turtles are frequently infected with communicable
diseases like salmonella, as well as parasites. The agencies claim that they
have no jurisdiction, but animal welfare people believe that the issue is a
political hot potato since the Asian population is steadily growing in
California. Thompson says that he believes that officials fear being labeled as
racists if they carry out appropriate enforcement.
For several years, the San Francisco Commission of Animal Control & Welfare
conducted investigations in local markets in Chinatown and Farmer’s Market.
These sweeps, Thompson says, revealed relentless cruelty to animals and
widespread danger to human health. Mayor Willie Brown and the ultra-liberal San
Francisco Board of Supervisors were not impressed. They have taken no action to
ban this practice. In Los Angeles’ Chinatown, the cruelty also continues.
The California Fish & Game Commission has done a thorough review of the
situation, listening to public and expert testimony throughout the State.
Thompson has learned that more than 2000 signatures protesting the selling of
turtles and frogs have been received by the Commission in the past few months.
"We look forward to a ban affirmed by Fish & Game on the 5th and an immediate
end to the sale of all turtles as food," says Thompson. "There is no
justification, legal or moral, for live animal markets to be exempt from
anti-cruelty and public health laws."
American Tortoise Rescue is located at 23852 Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 928,
Malibu, CA 90265; 800-938-3553; FAX 310-589-6101; Web site:
www.tortoise.com.
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