Intensive duck farming attacked
6 December 1999
Intensive duck farming attacked
ANIMAL welfare groups have launched a campaign against intensive duck farming, after an investigation revealed that hundreds of thousands of birds are being reared in “appalling, squalid and cruel” conditions.
A switch away from traditional turkeys for Christmas by many has resulted in a large increase in duck-farming, with the UK leading the world in scale and intensity.
Animal rights activists say the public is unaware that 90% of duck meat consumed in the UK now comes from conditions similar to those found in chicken and turkey farming.
A report by VIVA (Vegetarians International Voice for Animals) and FAWN (Farm Animal Welfare Network) found that up to 10,000 birds are often packed into one shed, with no natural light, no access to water for swimming and no space to exercise.
Celebrities such as Sir Paul McCartney, Joanna Lumley and the former model Twiggy will take part in high-street protests outside shops selling factory-farmed ducks.
- Foie gras under threat, FWi, 23 December, 1998
- The Independent 06/12/99 page 9