LONDON: It's the new year and animal rights activists are enjoying the fresh air after 219 pubs across the United Kingdom dropped what they called “cruel” foie-gras for Christmas and the new year celebrations. “It's a step in the right direction and we hope it will continue in the new year,” activist Bryan Jones told Bikya Masr from his Liverpool home. “Ending cruelty is extremely important and doing so at the plate is the best way.” Pro-vegan and animal rights group Viva! wrote to Defra minister Jim Paice asking him to investigate ways of banning the importation of the foodstuff. Foie-gras production in the UK is banned, but it is still allowed to be imported by pubs and restaurants. Viva! said the dish is “so cruel that its production is effectively banned in this country. “Viva! maintain that – as a sovereign nation – Britain should be able to unilaterally ban products that would not meet basic UK welfare guidelines. The group believes that EU legislation would allow such a ban because it both offends public morality and causes suffering to animals.” Viva! has accusing places that sell foie-gras, and the people who buy it, as being ‘un-British' – and is also calling on a public boycott of establishments that list it on their menus. The rearing of ducks for the French dish has left many squeamish. The birds are force fed by handlers who stuff food down their throat in order to fatten the bird quicker. They are then killed for their liver. BM
