Reply from Tesco

[Lou]

Originally Posted by alotoffluff

Had to just put my pennys worth in here.
Having lived with a muslim (naseems dad) for many years and having seen many goats and sheep killed the halal way in Morocco, i think stunning them is much more cruel than one swift cut to the throat. Stunning them in my opinion is inhumane and cruel.
At leat, with one cut, they are dead, but stunning them first is painful and cruel.
This is why, in our house, we only eat halal meat, although my husband is not a muslim. We just find the english way of doing things hard to stomach.

I think we have to accept that as said before, these turtles are bred to be killed in this way, and other countries do things other ways to us, and although we find it sickening and cruel, they may find our ways just as cruel.
Having said this, i still dont agree with the way these turtles are slaughtered, and i couldnt eat one!

Hi Laura...

I visited Morocco last year... it was gorgeous!!!!

I agree though, a nice stun gun can't be much fun. I am not adverse to halal meat, simply trying to point out that before commenting on other peoples cultures , if its the "non stunning" people have an issue with (which has been mentioned earlier in this thread) then we practice the same in halal meat sold in the UK, but that seems to be forgotton. I also fail to see how you could stun a tortoise... surely that in its self would be a difficult task and also result in injury rather than death?

[EJ]

No argument there. It is quite child like to try and see the world as a perfect place... where everyone gets what they want. Yup... that is a fault of mine. Is this an unrealistic point of view... I don't think so.

It all comes down to compromise.

Instead of attacking... why not offer amicable solutions. I think a good deal of these 'noble' efforts have a great deal to do with control and/or ego.

'I think this way... you should'.

Originally Posted by Geomyda

Once again Ed, your turn of phrase is typically "child like". For your information, and those of anyone else who care to investigate this subject, the views of Professor Shi Haitao, James F Parham, and Chen Tien-Hsi, which are echoed in the former text of this thread. Their work and published papers are dedicated too this subject and I suggest titles such as "Farming Endangered Turtles to Extinction in China", put into context the real story behind this subject.
Whilst of course, you are entitled to an opinion of your own, I suggest that you concentrate on the "Carapace Caressers", and leave the "Bunny huggers" to do the serious stuff.

[alotoffluff]

Louise, im totaly in agreement with you!

[tortoiselad]

i am a newbie and have been reading all the posts and finally came to this. i hve to agree with lou and ej.
tortoise,frogs, fish cow, pigs, chickens.... they are all living things. they are all killed and all feel pain. i had the opportunity to watch some videos while i was touring with a client of mine while she was/is being a spokesperson for peta. it was very painful just to watch, just like these turtles. just because it happens behind closed doors does not mean it is humane. its not that i dont want, but i just cant bring myself to eat meat or dairy after watching those documentaries. it has been 4yrs.

[gazinbrid]

just a thought but, i would think lots of people shop at tesco so i wonder if tesco stop selling farmed turtle/torts/frogs would people buy from shops and markets where they might be more wild caught than farmed which would have more impact on wild populations of these animals, . just to add i dont like what happens it was just something to put out there.

[Geomyda]

Do you really think Tortoises and Frogs are being Farmed in China?

[gazinbrid]

are they not farmed?

[Geomyda]

Frogs, are at best a bycatch from Rice farming. The Frogs live in the Rice paddies and would be caught and sent to markets, including plastic boxes sent too the Tesco plc subsidiary Hymall.
Tortoises, such as Indotestudo elongata are collected from the Teak Forests of South East Asia, by trained Dogs and again sent to the Chinese Markets.

[Ozric Jonathan]

My view is that there is far too much respect for cultural and religious traditions and beliefs. Its all hogwash. People in China believe that consuming parts of tiger penis will improve their sex life, that eating owls' eyes improves human eyesight and numerous other laughable concepts. I realise this view might alarm some readers, but I do not view christian beliefs as being any more resonable.

I don't know what the beliefs are around eating turtles in China but I'm willing to bet that it is about as sensible as the ones for eating owls and tigers.

If people are eating turtles basically because they are hungry and they see it as food then in a way I can understand this. The suffering of the animal in the process of being killed seems to me like a minor issue - it's being killed.

Tesco is a byword in this country for profit before all else and they have no doubt calculated that a few bunny-hugger customers that don't buy a few things is worth a lot less than the profits from expanding their food business in China.

I don't have a clue what the answer to this terrible loss of precious species is. It is similar to the loss of so many fish species which the rich industrial countries are causing including very close to home. Taking animals including fish from the wild and killing them is just appalling environmental vandalism and for those of us in the rich countries is completley unnecessary. Ed's remarks are obviously offensive and intended to be so, but at least he's honest in his bloodlust for murdering wild animals and eating them!

[EJ]

Ed's comments are not intended to be offensive. Ed's comments are an opinion intendeded provoke thought.

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

My view is that there is far too much respect for cultural and religious traditions and beliefs. Its all hogwash. People in China believe that consuming parts of tiger penis will improve their sex life, that eating owls' eyes improves human eyesight and numerous other laughable concepts. I realise this view might alarm some readers, but I do not view christian beliefs as being any more resonable.

I don't know what the beliefs are around eating turtles in China but I'm willing to bet that it is about as sensible as the ones for eating owls and tigers.

If people are eating turtles basically because they are hungry and they see it as food then in a way I can understand this. The suffering of the animal in the process of being killed seems to me like a minor issue - it's being killed.

Tesco is a byword in this country for profit before all else and they have no doubt calculated that a few bunny-hugger customers that don't buy a few things is worth a lot less than the profits from expanding their food business in China.

I don't have a clue what the answer to this terrible loss of precious species is. It is similar to the loss of so many fish species which the rich industrial countries are causing including very close to home. Taking animals including fish from the wild and killing them is just appalling environmental vandalism and for those of us in the rich countries is completley unnecessary. Ed's remarks are obviously offensive and intended to be so, but at least he's honest in his bloodlust for murdering wild animals and eating them!