Frogs are being eaten to extinction, experts say

Frogs Are Being Eaten To Extinction, Experts Say
ScienceDaily
Jan. 21, 2009

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120195731.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120195731.htm

The global trade in frog legs for human consumption is threatening their
extinction, according to a new study by an international team including
University of Adelaide researchers.

The researchers say the global pattern of harvesting and decline of wild
populations of frogs appears to be following the same path set by
overexploitation of the seas and subsequent "chain reaction" of fisheries
collapses around the world.

The researchers have called for mandatory certification of frog harvests to
improve monitoring and help the development of sustainable harvest strategies.

University of Adelaide ecologist Associate Professor Corey Bradshaw says frogs
legs are not just a French delicacy.

"Frogs legs are on the menu at school cafeterias in Europe, market stalls and
dinner tables across Asia to high end restaurants throughout the world," says
Associate Professor Bradshaw, from the University's School of Earth and
Environmental Sciences and also employed as a Senior Scientist by the South
Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).

"Amphibians are already the most threatened animal group yet assessed because of
disease, habitat loss and climate change - man's massive appetite for their legs
is not helping."

The annual global trade in frogs for human consumption has increased over the
past 20 years with at least 200 million and maybe over 1 billion frogs consumed
every year. Only a fraction of the total trade is assessed in world trade
figures.

Indonesia is the largest exporter of frogs by far and its domestic market is 2-7
times that.

"The frogs' legs global market has shifted from seasonal harvest for local
consumption to year-round international trade," says Associate Professor
Bradshaw. "But harvesting seems to be following the same pattern for frogs as
with marine fisheries - initial local collapses in Europe and North America
followed by population declines in India and Bangladesh and now potentially in
Indonesia.

"Absence of essential data to monitor and manage the wild harvest is a large
concern."

The study team also includes researchers from the Memorial University of
Newfoundland in Canada, the National University of Singapore and Harvard
University.