San Francisco Chronicle
June 24, 2003
OPEN FORUM
Regulating Sales of Live Animals
SARS makes us rethink live food markets
Susan Tellem, Marshall Thompson
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
The SARS epidemic has closed the "wet" live markets in China. There, as in
major U.S. cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, animals are
kept in horrendous and unsanitary conditions before they are eaten -- no shade,
upside down, crowded beak to beak and claw to claw, with no food or water. Some
of these animals are even threatened or endangered species.
Several animal welfare groups have been trying to close down the wet live-
food markets for the same reasons that they were closed in China: Blood and
feces tests on these live animals, including rabbits, turtles, frogs, fish and
even raccoons, reveal salmonella, tuberculosis, leprosy and a range of other
diseases easily transmitted to humans. American Tortoise Rescue repeatedly has
brought hard evidence since 1995 to a variety of local, state and federal
agencies to no avail.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with the
California Health Dept. (among others) have deliberately stayed away from this
political hot potato because closing them would mean angering many Asian voters.
One USDA official said, "We don't even inspect fish. Why would we inspect
turtles?"
The argument used by the vendors and buyers is that live markets are a Chinese
tradition. Before refrigeration in China and elsewhere, live-food markets made
sense, but that excuse no longer holds water. "Culture" and "tradition" justify
nothing. To quote Eric Mills of Action for Animals, "There's a lot of crime done
against animals in the name of diversity." Should we defend human slavery or
female genital mutilation on the same grounds of tradition and culture? They've
been around for a long time, too.
Our reason for closing the live markets is twofold: to prevent Asian and other
shoppers from getting sick with serious and sometimes fatal symptoms, and to
prevent the inhumane treatment of helpless animals. Overlooking these logical
reasons for our concern, we have been labeled racists throughout California and
elsewhere. It is not surprising that when there is no legitimate defense,
pulling the race card is always an easy trump.
Now, with the closing of the live markets in China because of SARS, we call on
government officials to close live markets here as well.
Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson are founders of American Tortoise Rescue (www.tortoise.com),
a national organization based in Malibu to rescue, rehabilitate, protect and
seek adoption of turtles and tortoises of all species.
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