Protest storm against frog legs: Saarbrücken restaurant does not give way!

Protest storm against frog legs: Saarbrücken restaurant does not give way!

In the Gersweiler district of Saarbrücken, the El Carnicero restaurant causes a sensation. The operator Thorsten Franzmann has received up to 600 emails a month for over a year. All emails are identical and ask him to take frog legs from the menu. This flood of e-mail is organized by the animal welfare organization PETA and has now reached a scope that is heavily burdening the restaurant's business.

The situation escalated when the restaurant got up to 100 emails a day on peak days. "It is frustrating and harmful to business", Franzmann describes the situation. Despite discussions with the police and dialogue attempts with PETA, there is no solution. The animal welfare organization has launched a petition aimed at around 20 restaurants in Germany, including El Carnicero. Over 7,150 people have already signed the petition until the editorial deadline, which leads to a massive number of automated emails that are sent to the affected companies.

The allegations of PETA

PETA argues that the conditions under which frogs are kept and killed in Asian countries are cruel. An investigation by Peta Asia documented that frogs are often skinned alive and mutilated without anesthesia. These practices not only violate the feeling of animal welfare, but also have ecological consequences.

The frog trose in recent years has led to a massive decline in frogs in many countries, including Indonesia and Albania. Between 2011 and 2020, over 4,000 tons of frog legs were imported into the EU. This mass hunting disturbs the ecological balance, since frogs not only regulate insect populations, but also represent an important source of food for many animals. A third of all types of amphibian are threatened with extinction worldwide, which is due to the combination of habitat destruction and excessive hunting.

The opinion of Thorsten Franzmann

Despite the constant flood of email, Thorsten Franzmann plans to offer frog legs for the time being. He states: "I will not respond to the requirements as long as there is no legal ban." This clear attitude is taken very seriously by the animal welfare organization. PETA has explained that the protests are ended when the restaurants in writing assure them to delete these courts from their offer. The LE Schloss Halberg restaurant, which no longer serves frog legs, has not been spared the flood of emails.

The fronts between Peta and the restaurant operators are hardened. Both sides do not differ from their positions. Thorsten Franzmann calls for a state ban on the sale of frog legs, while Peta continues to put pressure on the catering trade. The topic remains explosive and shows the tensions between animal welfare interests and culinary traditions in Germany.