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Viva! |
14 June 2000 Viva! victory as Asda withdraw barbary duck Asda today announced that their supply arrangements for barbary duck “will cease on 12 August.” The decision marks another victory for Viva!, who had been informing the company of the barbarity involved in barbary (or muscovy) duck meat production. The charity’s 52-page Ducks out of Water report reveals how the birds have the ends of their sharp beaks sliced off in an attempt to prevent feather pulling - a product of the stressful conditions on duck factory farms. Muscovy duck beaks have a rich supply of nerves to the tip. Research has shown that debeaking can lead to life-long suffering - similar to the pain suffered by human amputees. Scientists state that, “debeaking of ducklings is traumatic to the bird” (1) and the Institute of Small Animal Research found that, “the lost structures... severely impaired the function of the beak as a probing organ.” Asda state, “There is a provision within the Farm Assurance Standard to allow de-beaking if necessary. This would, however, only be done under strict veterinary supervision. However, we sell very few Barbary duck and are therefore currently working with our supplier to move away from the use of this particular breed, which will leave us with no need to de-beak under any circumstances. “Our current arrangements will cease on 12 August. After this date only residual stock will be on sale and we anticipate that this will be sold on or before 16 August.” Viva!’s campaign has had several other successes. In March, Sainsbury’s stopped selling barbary duck in all its stores and in April, Harrods withdrew all factory farmed duck meat from the shelves of its food hall. Two weeks ago, Marks & Spencer also removed barbary duck from its shelves. Says Viva! director Juliet Gellatley, “We congratulate Asda on their principled decision to stop selling barbary duck. Debeaking is a brutal procedure which involves slicing through a highly sensitive organ and denying the duck its sense of feel. It is like slicing off a human’s fingertips. “We now call on Tesco and Somerfield to follow suit - the only companies which we believe still stock meat from de-beaked ducks,” Ms. Gellatley concludes. For more information, footage or photographs of intensively farmed ducks, please contact Juliet Gellatley, Tony Wardle or Becky Smith on 0117 944 1000.
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