ENDANGERED FROGS

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Posted on 08 Aug 2005 # ANI

http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews & id=12149

 

Frogs, an endangered species in Goa

By Devraj, Goa: As more and more frogs reach the gourments plates in Goa

restaurants, the species itself is endangered.

 

Poaching frogs though banned, is being indulged in on a large scale in Goa.

 

During monsoons, frogs usually come out to feed and reproduce.

 

Poachers find this an ideal opportunity to capture and kill them. The frogs

eventually turn up on gourmets’ tables at bars and restaurants across Goa.

 

Those fond of sea food claim that frogs taste better than chicken. Goanese have

rechristened frogs as ‘jumping chicken’. When cooked they appear like chicken

and a plate costs somewhere between 50-70 rupees.

 

“Jumping chicken is very popular in Goa because of its taste. It is sold in

every bar and restaurant,” says Melwin, who fancies the dish.

 

“Government has banned frog poaching because of its dwindling population. They

are very delicious to eat,” adds Assis.

 

Frogs play a very important role in maintaining the ecological balance. The

mosquitoes, and frogs are the main food for snakes. If reptiles are starved of

their staple diet, they turn to human settlements.

 

Therefore, the Government has banned the killing and the sale of frogs under the

Wildlife(Protection) Act, 1972.

 

“ Poaching of frogs affects environment and ecology in many ways because frog is

the food for snakes and when snakes do not get frogs, they come to human

settlements. So, the first problem is faced by these poor reptiles. Second, it

affects the health of human beings, as most of the mosquitoes responsible for

causing malaria are eaten by frogs,” claims Rajendra Kerkar, an

environmentalist, based in Goa.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

AUGUST 8, 2005

3:15 PM CONTACT: GM Watch Daily

Karen Hoffman, University of Pittsburgh, 412-624-4356

 

 

Monsanto's Roundup Herbicide Killing Off Frogs Worldwide

 

 

PITTSBURGH - August 8 - As amphibians continue to mysteriously disappear

worldwide, a University of Pittsburgh researcher may have found more pieces of

the puzzle. Elaborating on his previous research, Pitt assistant professor of

biological sciences Rick Relyea has discovered that Roundup®, the most

commonly used herbicide in the world, is deadly to tadpoles at lower

concentrations than previously tested; that the presence of soil does not

mitigate the chemical's effects; and that the product kills frogs in addition to

tadpoles.

 

In two articles published in the August 1 issue of the journal Ecological

Applications, Relyea and his doctoral students Nancy Schoeppner and Jason

Hoverman found that even when applied at concentrations that are one-third of

the maximum concentrations expected in nature, Roundup® still killed up to 71

percent of tadpoles raised in outdoor tanks.

 

Relyea also examined whether adding soil to the tanks would absorb the

Roundup® and make it less deadly to tadpoles. The soil made no difference:

After exposure to the maximum concentration expected in nature, nearly all of

the tadpoles from three species died.

 

Although Roundup® is not approved for use in water, scientists have found that

the herbicide can wind up in small wetlands where tadpoles live due to

inadvertent spraying during the application of Roundup®.

 

Studying how Roundup® affected frogs after metamorphosis, Relyea found that

the recommended application of Roundup® Weed and Grass Killer, a formulation

marketed to homeowners and gardeners, killed up to 86 percent of terrestrial

frogs after only one day.

 

" The most striking result from the experiments was that a chemical designed to

kill plants killed 98 percent of all tadpoles within three weeks and 79 percent

of all frogs within one day, " Relyea wrote.

 

Previous studies have determined that it is Roundup®'s surfactant

(polyethoxylated tallowamine, or POEA, an " inert " ingredient added to make the

herbicide penetrate plant leaves) and not the active herbicide (glyphosate) that

is lethal to amphibians.

 

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation, Pitt¹s McKinley

Fund, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Science.