Response I received from HK SPCA about the treatment of Crustacea

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

Here is the response I received from the HK SPCA re the crustacean

incident

I wrote about some time ago. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the

HK SPCA

in policing some premises, a recent program screened in Australia by SBS

TV

showed a poor lobster crawling off the chopping board AFTER its rear end

was chopped off BY A TOP HONG KONG CHEF. The chef was apparently from

one of HK's top restaurants and smiled and " prepared " the large tail

section of the lobster then reached over, grabbed the living front torso

of the lobster and started to chop the rest of the animal up while it

was alive with its feet still paddling in the air.

If any one program could put meat eaters off eating lobsters it would be

this one.

Are some cooks so removed from the pain of animals that they will chop

animals

up alive? I heard a similar instance of Aboriginals here in Australia

hacking

off the legs of large sea turtles and leaving the animal alive so it

wouldn't go

" off " till they wanted to hack off the next piece. Elsewhere I have read

of bears with paws hacked off while they are alive. Another person

mentioned

seeing live eels chopped up in Chinese restaurants. Where does this

cruelty stop

in this day and age? Obviously the human race is not evolving fast

enough when

it comes to the consideration of the pain of other species caused by the

hands of humans.

 

Kind regards,

 

Marguerite (see below)

 

Dear Marguerite,

May I take this opportunity to thank you for your concern on the said

matter, & for kindly alerting this to us.

 

The SPCA (HK) does have its set of Policy on FOOD ANIMALS, & it says

that:

- While the SPCA encourages a meatless diet, it accepts that at present

animals are a staple of the Hong Kong diet.... In these circumstances,

it opposes farming practices that cause distress or suffering to

animals, or deprive animals of the opportunity to indulge in their

natural behaviour. It advocates that farming should provide, as nearly

as possible, natural lifestyles for the animals concerned, and that

slaughter should be carried out in the least inhumane way possible.

- The SPCA opposes the sale and/or slaughter of live food animals at

places such as wet markets, shops, restaurants or in the street. The

Society urges the Hong Kong government to ban the sale of live creatures

for food.

- Whenever animals are killed for whatever reason, the procedure must be

carried out in the least inhumane way, that is, the animal should have

no forewarning and must not suffer any fear or pain. The Society urges

the Hong Kong government to centralize the slaughter of all food animals

to ensure the maintenance of strictest standards of animal welfare in

abattoirs.

 

Our Inspector Team does perform regular checks to pet shops, wet markets

or the like to provide advices to owners on the handling of animals.

Both our Inspectors, or the office, do address to enquiries of similar

kind. Our statement is straight & clear. Killing must be carried out in

the least inhumane way.

 

I hope the captioned information has furnished you with the needed per

your enquiry/complaint. Should, however, more information should be

needed, or you have other suggestion, you are welcome to contact the

SPCA (HK) at your earliest convenience.

 

We thank you once again for your alert, and we look forward to bringing

betterment in animal welfare.

 

 

With Best Regards,

Rebecca Ngan

PR & Communications Manager

(Tel: 852 - 2232 5518)

 

 

 

Hi,

 

I wanted to post on the forum but I can't because I'm not a HK citizen.

I want to contact the HK SPCA to ask them if they are doing anything

about

cruelty to crustaceans in Hong Kong restaurants. Here is a complaint I

have sent to one of our TV stations in Australia concerning a program

filmed in Hong Kong. Does the HK SPCA have a policy on crustaceans kept

in tanks in HK and does it police that policy?

 

Kind regards,

 

Marguerite