bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

When we think of French cuisine, the first thing that comes to mind, other than snails and foie gras, is probably frogs’ legs.
You can order frogs’ legs at most restaurants in France, where they are often served fried to a crisp and seasoned with garlic.
French people eat some 4,000 tonnes of the traditional dish every year.
But although the French Agriculture Ministry counts frogs’ legs as culinary heritage in the eastern region of Bourgone-Franche-Comté, most of them come from abroad.

In France itself, edible frog species have been protected for decades. There are strict regulations on how many can be caught, in France and throughout most of the European Union.
In Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, grass frogs are allowed to be caught and killed under certain conditions between the end of February and April, the time in which they come to the ponds to reproduce.
However, France imports more than 2,500 tonnes of frogs’ legs from abroad every year to satisfy demand. The dish is also popular in Belgium.
But hungry frog-eaters in Europe are causing trouble in supplier countries. Indonesia is the largest exporter of frogs’ legs, and Europe’s appetite for the delicacy not only threatens the population of rare frog species, but also the balance of ecosystems.
China’s frog restaurants flourish as appetite for Ming delicacy explodes
“The trade in frog legs is hardly regulated or monitored by the government,” said amphibian specialist Ganjar Cahyadi, curator of the zoology museum in the city of Bandung on Java island.
There is no official data on the number of wild frogs in the archipelago nation, he said. “We don’t know how many frogs are exported and how many remain in the wild.”
The situation is similar in Vietnam, another major exporter of the amphibians. The number of frogs in the country has declined significantly in recent decades, said Mai Nguyen of the animal welfare organisation Humane Society International.
“When I was a child living in the countryside, it was easy to see and catch frogs. But today – almost 40 years later – it’s hard to even find wild frogs,” she says. However, the government has no plans to limit the sale or export of the animals.
We don’t know how many frogs are exported and how many remain in the wild
Ganjar Cahyadi, Indonesian amphibian expert
The rainforests of Southeast Asia, and especially in Indonesia, are known for their great biodiversity. New species continue to be discovered there frequently.
But the widespread hunting of frogs may wipe out entire species before scientists even find them, said Cahyadi, adding that more urgently needs to be done for research and, above all, for the protection of the animals.
Frogs are both prey and hunters, making them a critical part of the food chain. When it comes to reducing the population of insects such as grasshoppers and mosquitoes, the amphibians are indispensable.
“Frogs are natural insecticides. They eat insects that can cause problems for agriculture and public health,” Cahyadi said. “Without frogs, we would have to use more chemicals to control these insects.”

This would not only be detrimental to the environment, but also to people’s health.
One solution could be to focus on breeding frogs for export instead of hunting them, Cahyadi said. This would also benefit the local economy and create jobs.
French fishmonger Patrick Francois came up with a similar idea 13 years ago. He established what was probably the first frog farm in France, in the southern village of Pierrelatte near the Provence region.
“I saw that people were trying to produce more and more locally. That’s why I threw myself into it,” said Francois, who now breeds frogs.

His project was made possible with a special frog species that scientists developed. While frogs only eat moving animals, these frogs also eat things that do not move.
From when they are born to when they are killed, the frogs spend their time in some of the hundred or so tanks in Francois’ breeding hall, which is filled with the sound of water and the loud croaking of the male frogs.
Francois also has environmental goals in mind, when he considers the frozen imported frogs’ legs from Southeast Asia or frogs imported alive from Turkey. “The very fact that no frogs are taken from the wild,” he said.
He now supplies frog legs to about a dozen upmarket customers. “No more, because our production is not enormous either.”
Scientists are now able to regrow frog legs. Are humans next?
Meanwhile, a handful of other breeders in France have followed suit and set up frog farms. The Agriculture Ministry wrote in 2019 that the breeders produced about 10 tonnes of frog legs a year, and estimated that it could be significantly more in the future.
Even so, France is still only likely to supply a fraction of the nation’s total annual consumption for the foreseeable future.


Asia’s floods a deadly reminder of need to combat growing climate threat

Domestic helpers deserve praise for heroism in Tai Po fire

Indonesian ex-minister rebuffs claims of China bias amid ‘state within a state’ airport row

Asia’s floods kill over 1,000, lay bare human cost of climate inaction

Indonesia

France loves its frogs’ legs. But for Indonesia and Vietnam, that’s becoming a problem

A Helen’s Flying Frog perches on a branch in a nature reserve in Vietnam in 2009.  France imports more than 2,500 tonnes of frogs’ legs from abroad every year to satisfy demand. Photo: Australian Museum Handout via Reuters

Western-style baked frogs’ legs. In France, edible frog species have been protected for decades. Photo: Shutterstock

An aerial view of rainforest in Indonesia. Specialists say the widespread hunting of frogs in the country may wipe out entire species before scientists even find them. Photo: Handout via Rainforest Action Network

A lavender field in Provence, southeastern France. French fishmonger Patrick Francois began breeding frogs nearby more than a decade ago. Photo: AFP

From Singapore to India, Nepal and Myanmar, Asia must ‘adapt’ to heatwaves

A Kashmiri teenager jumps into a stream to beat the heat on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, on July 5. Photo: EPA-EFE

A villager tries to put out a forest fire in Kampar in Indonesia’s Riau province in 2019. Photo: AFP

People cooling off on a beach amid hot weather in Qingdao in China’s Shandong province on Tuesday last week. Photo: AFP

In Japan, a horse’s death spurs calls for festival of ‘obvious’ animal abuse to be cancelled

“Ageuma Shinji” (or Rising Horse) festival in the city of Kuwana. Photo: Twitter/@kuwana_City

A rider in traditional attire performs at the “Ageuma Shinji” (Rising Horse) festival in Kuwana city, Japan’s Mie prefecture. Photo: Twitter/@kuwana_City

A horse struggles to climb a hill at the “Ageuma Shinji” festival in Kuwana. Photo: Twitter/@kuwana_City

The ‘Rising Horse’ festival in Japan’s Kuwana city has come under fire amid accusations of animal cruelty. Photo: Twitter/@kuwana_City

Heatwaves to hit China once every 5 years as global extreme weather events multiply, study finds

People cool off by a fan as they wait for seats at a restaurant during a heatwave in Beijing last week. Photo: AFP

Tourists walk under a mist machine at a coffee shop to cool down in Athens, Greece on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua

Firefighters and paramedics wheel a resident to an ambulance during a heatwave in the US state of Arizona last week. Photo: Bloomberg

Japan bakes as residents warned of once-in-a-decade, life-threatening temperatures

People protect themselves from the scorching sun with parasols and headgear in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district earlier this month. Photo: Kyodo

People walk with parasols on a sweltering day in the central Japanese city of Nagoya last week. Photo: Kyodo

People cool off at a fountain in Yokohama. The national weather agency has warned of unseasonably high temperatures in all but four of Japan’s 47 prefectures. Photo: AP

China, Vietnam, Laos are hotspots for the criminal wildlife trade: does Asia really care about biodiversity?

On a ‘Buy and Sell Wildlife’ Facebook page, brokers show photos of animals and animal parts for sale. Photo: Facebook

Six red pandas in cages in Laos, of which only three survived, confiscated from wildlife traffickers. File photo: AFP

The online post with this picture of a chained monkey said: “Anybody wanna hang, wanna get rid of, don’t have time to feed”. Photo: Facebook

Pangolin scales and other animal parts for sale. Photo: Facebook

Elephant tusks seized in Vietnam and Thailand. File photo: AFP

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

Frogs’ legs are particularly popular in France and Belgium. But in Southeast Asian nations that supply the delicacy, the picture is murkier
Key frog species are declining rapidly in both Indonesia and Vietnam, as traders strive to keep up with frog-loving Europe’s demand


In Southeast Asian nations that supply the delicacy, key frog species are declining rapidly to keep up with European demand.


France loves its frogs’ legs. But for Indonesia and Vietnam, that’s becoming a problem

Frogs’ legs are particularly popular in France and Belgium. But in Southeast Asian nations that supply the delicacy, the picture is murkier Key frog species are declining rapidly in both Indonesia and Vietnam, as traders strive to keep up with frog-loving Europe’s demand

Frogs’ legs are particularly popular in France and Belgium. But in Southeast Asian nations that supply the delicacy, the picture is murkier

Key frog species are declining rapidly in both Indonesia and Vietnam, as traders strive to keep up with frog-loving Europe’s demand