Viva! 8 York Court Wilder Street Bristol BS2 8QH Tel: 0117 944 1000 Fax: 0117 924 4646 email: media@viva.org.uk	17 July 2000 Viva! victory as Tesco withdraw barbary duck Tesco has stopped selling barbary duck in all its stores just one day after Viva! launched a campaign to educate the public and company about how the meat is cruelly produced. Viva!’s 52-page Ducks out of Water report reveals how barbary (or muscovy) ducks have the end of their sharp beaks sliced off in an attempt to prevent feather pulling - a product of the stressful conditions on duck factory farms. Scientists have found that it is traumatic and can lead to life-long suffering. Tesco’s decision to withdraw barbary duck meat from more than 200 stores came the day after Viva!’s demonstration at the company’s Covent Garden store. Pet Rescue star Wendy Turner presented the store’s manager with a giant protest letter signed by herself and other celebrities including Sir Paul McCartney, Pam Ferris, Twiggy and Joanna Lumley. Viva!’s latest campaign victory follows several other successes. Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and Asda have already stopped selling barbary duck and Harrods has withdrawn all factory farmed duck meat. Waitrose and Somerfield are the only supermarkets still selling barbary duck and Somerfield is currently reviewing its policy. Tesco state, “We are calling in suppliers to discuss their standards of production. Our aim is for more welfare friendly systems that have the utmost consideration for the animals involved.” Says Viva! director Juliet Gellatley, “Debeaking is a brutal procedure which involves slicing through a highly sensitive organ. We congratulate Tesco on their decision to stop selling barbary duck and we call on Waitrose and Somerfield to follow suit. “However, if stores are genuinely committed to raising welfare standards for ducks, they cannot continue to sell any type of duck meat derived from farms where birds are permanently kept in sheds and denied access to water for swimming. Supermarkets must now act with principle and remove all factory farmed duck meat from their shelves.”