Care for the Wild International

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Support our campaign: find out howTesco Turtle SlaughterBritish retail giant Tesco is thumbing its nose at the sensibilities of its UK customers by selling live turtles, tortoises, frogs and fish for food in its Chinese stores. In light of the conservation and animal welfare horrors that are inevitably associated with farming, transport, holding and slaughtering these animals in China, UK-charity Care for the Wild International is calling on all potential Tesco customers to vote with their feet and boycott Tesco.
TESCO TURTLE CAMPAIGN NEWS:Until last week, Tesco relied on decapitating turtles as a slaughter method. However, veterinary and scientific guidelines explicitly state that decapitation is inhumane and is not recommended. Because of their slow metabolism, which uses up oxygen very slowly, turtles and other reptiles can remain conscious for an hour following decapitation and will experience extreme pain during this period.After assessing information provided by Care for the Wild International and carrying out its own research, Tesco introduced changes to address some of the animal welfare problems associated with selling live turtles.1. Tesco will no longer sell hardshell turtles, because of humane killing concerns related to access to the animals’ head.2. Tesco has decided to only sell one species, the Chinese softshell turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis.3. Tesco has replaced decapitation as a slaughter method with decapitation followed by crushing of the skull, which significantly reduces the animals’ time to death.
This is encouraging, but doesn’t go far enough. Just in terms of welfare, there are three main serious concerns:1. Tesco has no control over the behaviour of customers who wish to buy live turtles for home slaughter. Common methods include dismembering, eviscerating or boiling the animals alive.2. Frogs sold alive are commonly skinned before being killed. There is no question that this is an utterly unacceptable slaughter method, which can not be considered humane under any circumstances.3. Conditions on turtle farms and during transport are poor and animals are over-crowded, which affects their welfare. In-store display for these sub-tropical to temperate species too is inappropriate (e.g. on ice or in nets), raising further significant concerns.
TESCO TURTLE CAMPAIGN NEWS:
CARE FOR THE WILD GETS DRESSED UP AT TESCO AGM! On 29th June 2007, Tesco held its Annual General Meeting in London. CWI was present both inside and outside to ensure Tescos shareholders were fully aware of Tesco’s live turtle and frog sales in China.
Inside the AGM, Care for the Wild’s Chief Executive, Dr. Barbara Maas brought the pressing welfare and conservation concerns associated with Tesco’s activities to the attention of over a thousand shareholders, board members including Tesco’s Chief Executive, Sir Terence Leahy.
Meanwhile, CWI staff and supporters were busy distributing our new Tesco Turtle Campaign FACTSHEET and leaflets to shareholders, who had been mostly unaware of Tesco’s involvement.
Tesco are currently reviewing evidence of the massive conservation and welfare problems associated with the selling turtles, which is why now is a VITAL time to contact the company.....Contact Tesco: Sir Terence Leahy, CEO Tesco, Tesco House, PO Box 44, Delamare Road, Cheshunt, Herts, EN8 9SL or email [email protected]. Please also contact Customer Services at [email protected] Tel: 0845 6004411
Already, as a response to hundreds of phonecalls and letters, Tesco have had no choice but to commission research, and it is this research that will undoubtedly spell the end of their selling of live turtles.What else can you do?
For further information on the campaign visit Care For The Wild International