Entire populations of frogs would be threatened by the massive consumption, in France and in Europe, of the thighs of the small batrachian.
A new report drawn up by two NGOs points to this practice which could prove fatal in the long term for an entire species.
"The European Union imports around 4,070 tonnes of frogs' legs per year, equivalent to 81 to 200 million frogs, the vast majority of which are wild-caught," says the report titled "Deadly Dish/Plat mortal from the NGOs Pro Wildlife and Robin des Bois.
An essential role in biodiversity
The report continues: “Populations of large frog species are collapsing one after another in the wild, creating a fatal cascading effect for species conservation.
» The main exporters are Indonesia, Turkey and Albania.
"The trade in frog legs has direct consequences not only on frogs, but also on biodiversity and the health of ecosystems as a whole," said Robin des Bois president Charlotte Nithart in the report.
According to her, these animals have an essential role in the balance of different ecosystems.
30,015 tonnes of thighs imported between 2010 and 2019
NGOs recall that in France, 30,015 tonnes of fresh frog legs were imported between 2010 and 2019, that is to say between 600 million to 1.5 billion specimens.
They are calling on the Member States, in particular Belgium and France, for market traceability.
They also want the EU to draw up proposals for listing frog species threatened by overexploitation in the CITES appendices (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
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