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BushMeat, Illegal trade in wild protected species.

this item sure enlightened me, I had thought it was rare, and usually in NON 1st world countries.

http://www.alternet.org/food/145668/endangered_species_on_the_grill...

And parts of many wild creatures are sold as alleged medicine: Bear bile, for example, is popular in Asian communities among those who
claim it cures liver and stomach problems. A man was charged in Seattle
last month with illegally killing six black bears and trafficking in
their parts; during an earlier seizure, the same man was caught in
possession of 18 dried bears' gallbladders. But in a country that
naturally overflows with good (and legal) food, including some of the
world's premier meats, business is nonetheless booming in prohibited
flesh, much of it from endangered species

. And the dirty little secret behind this trade -- that is, besides mad-cow disease -- is the fact
that ethnic communities are its biggest customers.

"We see bushmeat coming into the U.S. illegally to feed demand from
expatriate African communities," says the WWF's Leigh Henry. Antelope
and cane rat are common, "but occasionally species of greater
conservation concern are imported as well, including great apes."

Grilled gorilla -- in America?

"This meat travels across borders very freely," Peterson says. "Yes,
ape meat is illegal everywhere, and yes, lots and lots and lots of
local laws make it illegal, but nobody pays attention to them. I'm
amazed at how little the global bushmeat trade has become common
knowledge. But there's a strong resistance to talking about it, because
it could easily seem racist -- blaming the Africans for what they eat.
It's a delicate subject ... but I do think we have the right to say,
'Stop doing this. We live in the modern world now.'"

Tags: Health, Illegal, Imports, endangered, of, risk, species.

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Comment by Colin J Ely on February 20, 2010 at 6:59pm: > bottom feeders

Knew those Canberra Pollies couldn't stay out of the conversation for long! ;-)

Comment by Rashida Khan on February 20, 2010 at 6:52pm: Colin,
Both toads and camels are eaten in other countries. Camel is actually quite popular in Asia and the Middle East. There is a small market in Australia for camel steak. Cane toad legs are eaten in China and I have been to places in Asia where you can select a toad from a cage and have it cooked for you, sans poison gland I believe I have never tried it. :-) The market is there but do we have the brains to use it????? Now there is a question! :-)
cheers
Rashida

Comment by Laurel Ender on February 18, 2010 at 5:33pm: Colin, Lynette, anyone like my mum who grew up in the depression, called Rabbit "underground Mutton" mum was brilliant at skinning, but...she never! wanted to eat bunny again, I gather it was all they did eat for a long time, too long:-)
Hare if you can shoot or catch one I am told is very strong,in comparison.
I would avoid cat, especially as the feline wastind disease is quite possibly a Prion disease as is the wasting disease in american deer moose etc. Eating any carnivore is risky, and I think maybe? thats another reason Pork is not looked on favourably in some places, it what THEY eat, before you eat them..ditto bivalves and bottom feeders.

Comment by Colin J Ely on February 18, 2010 at 4:33pm: Rabbit is nice. My Dad used to get them occasionally. 'Spose when he was growing up in the Depression they were considered a treat? Unfortunately they are a bit like fish, lots of small bones.

Comment by Lynette McDougall on February 18, 2010 at 3:47pm: To each their own, but this had me intrigued. While I would never even think about eating a cat, is it really any different to a rabbit or a hare which are considered to be perfectly acceptable food in many parts of the world, including Australia? (I wouldn't eat rabbit or hare either)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/arti...

Eating an endangered species is never appropriate and certainly treating them inhumately is beyond reprensible.

But for any other animal, provided it is treated humanely while it is being reared and during the slaughtering process, is there really anything wrong with eating Sylvester? After all we eat Bugs, Daffy and Donald, Skippy, Bambi...